Coronavirus: UAE conducts 539,195 Covid-19 tests as 300 new cases are identified

Minister of Health and Prevention says the UAE plans to double the number of tests in 'the coming period'

Carrefour shoppers at the parking lot with their groceries at the Yas Mall. Victor Besa / The National

People wearing protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour supermarket in Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai. UAE government told residents to wear facemask and gloves all the times outside the home. Pawan Singh / The National

A grocery shopper with a face mask on at Souk Planet, Khalifa City. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home, the UAE government said on Saturday. Victor Besa / The National

People wearing protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour in Discovery Pavilion in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A delivery driver stacks water to provide to residents in an extremely quiet Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

One of the shopper with protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour supermarket in Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 5, 2020. Grocery shoppers with face mask s on at Souk Planet, Khalifa City. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home, the UAE government said on Saturday. Victor Besa / The National

A construction worker crosses the street with a mask on at Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home. Victor Besa / The National

A lone Zomato delivery man crosses the Al Bandar overpass at Khalifa City. Victor Besa / The National

The Warner Brothers theme park on Yas Island was temporarily closed during the pandemic. Victor Besa / The National

Barriers in place at Sunset Beach near Jumeirah Beach Hotel, during the height of the pandemic. Antonie Robertson / The National

A cleaner drives a street sweeper in Jumeirah, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Pharmacies across the country have seen a spike in sales of face masks. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man prays alone in a car park in Sharjah when mosques, churches and temples were temporarily closed. Antonie Robertson / The National

Lines of taxis sit outside Global Village in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A healthcare worker on her way to work on a gloomy Monday morning at the Al Mushrif area of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

During the height of the pandemic the RTA closed entrances leading to Al Ras area of Dubai from three main roads and interchanges: Al Musalla, Al Khaleej, and Baniyas Streets. Reem Mohammed / The National

An empty Sunset Beach located between the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Kite Beach in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man walks, while wearing a mask, to get to work in Dubai during the stay home policy in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National .

A man cleans the Barsha Heights welcome sign at the entrance to the neighbourhood in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced increased restrictions on movement in Al Ras area of Dubai for two weeks to facilitate intensified sterilisation procedures in 2020. Reem Mohammed / The National

A sign at Global Village thanking Dubai's heroes. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A man waits on the street with a face mask on outside a restaurant in Barsha Heights in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The UAE has conducted 539,195 tests for Covid-19 since the outbreak began.

On Wednesday, the country’s Minister of Health and Prevention, Abdulrahman Al Owais, said the UAE intended to double this figure “during the coming period” as part of a strategy to identify all local cases, isolate and treat them before it spreads further.

His update on testing figures came as 300 new cases of coronavirus were announced in the UAE, taking the country’s total to 2,659. Fifty-three people have recovered from the virus since Tuesday, adding to the country’s growing number of recoveries – currently at 239. The total number of deaths remains at 12.

Mr Al Owais said the high figures were a result of the UAE’s robust approach to testing which “reflects the strength of our health system and the efficiency of our medical staff.”

He thanked Emiratis and residents for their co-operation and solidarity during these “exceptional times in which we live” which have demonstrated immense social cohesion.

“The health and safety of citizens and residents is a priority, and it is a national responsibility that we all share,” Mr Al Owais said.

On Wednesday, the UAE’s regular coronavirus briefing, held at 5pm every two days, also heard from Abdullah Ali Al Nuaimi, acting assistant Undersecretary for Communication and International Relations at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

He said regulations had been put in place as part of a national programme to support and protect the country’s workforce, in co-ordination with the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority.

Part of this programme is the reduction of staff in office to 30 per cent of their typical capacity, increasing buses for workers to allow social distancing and putting measures in place to protect delivery drivers.

“The ministry has launched a temporary guide to remote work for private sector companies, which includes necessary measures to be taken in an emergency circumstance,” said Mr Al Nuaimi.

He said a committee had been formed to ensure job security and stability for Emiratis working in the private sector and to look into any complaints and “follow up on their condition”.

The ministry has temporarily allowed for employment contracts to be modified based on mutual consent between the employee and the company. These amendments can include granting the employee paid leave or unpaid leave, temporarily reducing their wages for a specific period or permanently reducing their wages.

Mr Al Nuaimi advised anyone who was currently seeking a job to register on the ministry's virtual labour market.

On Wednesday, Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE health sector, reassured the public that the high number of cases in the country were an indication of widespread testing.

She said more drive-through testing centres would be opened across the country to support the UAE’s strategy to test as many people as possible to isolate and treat patients, preventing them from spreading the virus to others.

Asked about the slow recovery rate compared to the number of growing infections, Dr Al Hosani said the disease spreads much faster than the typical amount of time it takes for a patient to fully recover.

“According to the World Health Organisation, the global rate of recovery is less than 25 per cent of the total number of cases. This is because it takes a mild case between two to three weeks to recover while severe cases may take much longer.”

The UAE mandated masks to be worn in public at all times last week, which has led to reports of increased littering with used personal protective equipment found strewn in the streets.

Dr Al Hosani condemned this behaviour, saying it could lead to increased cases of infection.

"Littering is not a part of our culture. Throwing masks and gloves on the floor could spread the risk of infection. This puts cleaning workers at risk too. We must be well behaved and throw masks and gloves in bins after placing them in sealed bags, to protect everyone."