New cases of Covid-19 in the UAE were below 3,000 for a second consecutive day on Monday, with 2,739 infections reported. Recoveries far exceeded new cases, with 4,452 people cleared of the virus. Nine people died of related complications, down from 12 on Sunday. The total number of infections to date is 306,339. Of these, 281,410 (almost 92 per cent) have recovered while 859 (0.28 per cent) died. Active cases currently stand at 24,070, after reaching a high of 27,792 on January 19. Monday's infections were detected after 127,572 DPI and PCR tests were conducted across the country. Authorities also said 106,615 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were administered over the previous 24 hours. More than 3.4 million doses of vaccine have been administered since the drive began in December. Inspectors in Dubai, meanwhile, shut down 14 businesses and fined another 213 in a clampdown on Covid-19 rule-breakers throughout January. The emirate's department of economic development took action against traders breaching safety measures following a concerted campaign of inspections at shopping centres and open markets. The majority of the offences related to failure to wear face masks or abide by physical distancing regulations. Authorities do not name the businesses which were penalised for breaking Covid-19 laws. The sweep of thousands of premises was carried out by the commercial compliance and consumer protection sector of Dubai Economy. "The field teams were keen on inspecting all areas in Dubai to ensure that commercial establishments adhered to the precautionary guidelines without fail," said Hassan BuNafour, senior manager of the field control department for the sector. "The inspections found that 15,045 establishments fully complied with the guidelines. The violations were found across diverse businesses, especially those that received customers or ran the risk of overcrowding and hence, lack of adequate physical distancing.” Dubai Economy called on the public to report any breaches of regulations through the Dubai Consumer App available on Apple, Google and Huawei stores, by calling 600545555, or by the Consumerrights.ae website.
