Coronavirus: UAE reports 2,180 new cases and three deaths

Another 244,357 tests were conducted over a 24-hour period

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 30, 2021.  Sulaiman Kalathul gets vaccinated at the  Biogenix Labs at G42 in Masdar City.  As of March 25, Biogenix Labs now administers the Sinopharm Covid vaccine.
Victor Besa/The National
Section:  NA
Reporter:  Shireena Al Nowais
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The UAE reported 2,180 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday. There were 2,321 recoveries.

Active cases fell to 14,326 as recoveries again outpaced new infections.

The number of infections recorded since the pandemic began reached 465,939 and the number of patients who have beaten the virus increased to 450,111.

Officials reported three deaths, as the toll rose to 1,502.

Another 244,357 tests were conducted over a 24-hour period. More than 38 million tests have been carried out nationwide since the outbreak began.

On Friday, health officials announced an additional 100,080 vaccine doses had been administered, raising the total to 8,491,382.

This equates to 85.85 doses for every 100 people.

The UAE's Fatwa Council said on Thursday that taking the Covid-19 vaccine "does not invalidate fasting".

The council, chaired by Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah, said inoculation was permitted in Islam.

During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk – between fajr and maghrib prayers .

Covid-19 cases surge in India

Meanwhile, India's health ministry reported 81,466 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, the highest daily number in six months.

Several states were hit heavily by a second wave of the coronavirus, including Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Maharashtra, the western state that has been worst hit by Covid-19 so far, reported 43,183 new cases on Friday – its highest since the pandemic spread to India in March 2020.

Officials in the state imposed a night curfew for the weekend but were considering stricter control measures, including shutting down religious places and restricting train travel.

The total number of cases stood at 12.3 million, making India the country third most affected by the virus after the US and Brazil. The death toll rose by 469 to 163,396.

The vaccination drive started on January 16 this year and the programme intensified in recent weeks.

Elsewhere, a senior World Health Organisation official described Europe's immunisation campaign against Covid-19 as “unacceptably slow”.

Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, said this could prolong the pandemic.

So far, only 10 per cent of Europe’s population had received a dose and only 4 per cent had been fully protected with two doses.

In pictures: Covid-19 around the world