• A tourist waits to have her papers checked on arrival at Terminal 3 at Dubai airport. AFP
    A tourist waits to have her papers checked on arrival at Terminal 3 at Dubai airport. AFP
  • A tourist waits for her luggage at Dubai airport. AFP
    A tourist waits for her luggage at Dubai airport. AFP
  • An Emirati policeman directs a tourist to get a medical screening on arrival in Dubai. AFP
    An Emirati policeman directs a tourist to get a medical screening on arrival in Dubai. AFP
  • A tourist takes a selfie before he gets a medical screening at Dubai airport. AFP
    A tourist takes a selfie before he gets a medical screening at Dubai airport. AFP
  • A woman has her temperature checked as she enters the Ramada by Wyndham in Dubai. Thermal scanning for guests entering the property and restaurant is compulsory. Antonie Robertson / The National
    A woman has her temperature checked as she enters the Ramada by Wyndham in Dubai. Thermal scanning for guests entering the property and restaurant is compulsory. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Strict check-in procedures in place at a hotel in Dubai. The emirate reopened for tourist in July. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Strict check-in procedures in place at a hotel in Dubai. The emirate reopened for tourist in July. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Housekeeping staff go to great lengths to disinfect rooms, surfaces, items within the room. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Housekeeping staff go to great lengths to disinfect rooms, surfaces, items within the room. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A beauty technician wears a face shield and mask while giving a facial at ShuiQi Spa & Fitness at the Atlantis hotel. Spas and massage salons in Dubai have received the green light to resume services. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A beauty technician wears a face shield and mask while giving a facial at ShuiQi Spa & Fitness at the Atlantis hotel. Spas and massage salons in Dubai have received the green light to resume services. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The gym at Towers Rotana hotel in Dubai is cleaned after each use as part of measures to keep guests safe from Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National
    The gym at Towers Rotana hotel in Dubai is cleaned after each use as part of measures to keep guests safe from Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A thermal scanning camera checks peoples' temperatures as they enter through Gate Avenue at Dubai International Financial Centre. Reem Mohammed / The National
    A thermal scanning camera checks peoples' temperatures as they enter through Gate Avenue at Dubai International Financial Centre. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Room sanitation procedures conducted in the rooms at Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Room sanitation procedures conducted in the rooms at Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Thermal scanners at the entrance of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Thermal scanners at the entrance of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • QR code menus at the lobby of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    QR code menus at the lobby of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Staff wear face masks and gloves as part of safety measures at Towers Rotana hotel in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Staff wear face masks and gloves as part of safety measures at Towers Rotana hotel in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Safety plexiglass set up in the reception of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Safety plexiglass set up in the reception of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • A cleaner disinfects the lobby of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A cleaner disinfects the lobby of Marriot Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • An aerial view of a Golf course in the Emirates Hills area of Dubai. AFP
    An aerial view of a Golf course in the Emirates Hills area of Dubai. AFP
  • An aerial view of the pedestrian Tolerance Bridge across Dubai Creek. Dubai reopened its doors to international visitors on July 7 after a nearly four-month closure. AFP
    An aerial view of the pedestrian Tolerance Bridge across Dubai Creek. Dubai reopened its doors to international visitors on July 7 after a nearly four-month closure. AFP

Coronavirus: UAE announces 532 new cases of Covid-19


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The UAE reported 532 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, after conducting 49,000 more tests.

The infections brought the country's total to 53,577.  At least 1,288 people were cleared of the virus, adding to the recovery tally of 43,570.

Officials said one patient died, raising the death toll to 328.

The number of active cases has now dipped under 10,000 for the first time since April 30.

The UAE has carried out more than 3.5 million PCR tests in an effort to detect, isolate and treat cases as early as possible and avoid further infections.

A raft of safety measures were implemented across the country since the first Covid-19 cases were discovered in late January, from 24-hour stay home orders to the mandatory use of face masks.

Health authorities aim to carry out another 2 million coronavirus tests over the next two months.

About Housecall

Date started: July 2020

Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech

# of staff: 10

Funding to date: Self-funded

The bio

Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions

School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

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U19 World Cup in South Africa

Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies

Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE

UAE fixtures

Saturday, January 18, v Canada

Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan

Saturday, January 25, v South Africa

UAE squad

Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon

While you're here
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Trolls World Tour

Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

Rating: 4 stars

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”