Coronavirus: UAE reports lowest daily cases in the past year

Daily cases have remained below 1,000 for 19 days in a row

Lab staff working in the sample preparation room at Dubai Airport (DXB). All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Close to Terminal 2, the laboratory is a dedicated centre for around-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples collected from passengers at DXB.

Lab staff working in Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

One of the world’s busiest airports now has one of the world’s biggest in-house Covid-19 testing laboratories.

The laboratory reduces waiting times for passengers arriving by making sure their PCR test results are delivered in only four to six hours.

Before the lab opened in June, the passengers’ samples were collected from the airport every 12 hours.

Now samples are collected every 30 minutes and transported to the in-house facility operated by Pure Health.

Carlo Kaabar, medical director of Mohap Laboratories, at Dubai Airport's in-house PCR lab.

After a batch of samples is received, the staff first check their integrity and verify the passengers’ details using barcodes.

Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

If passengers test positive, they need to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

Lab staff scanning the barcode of a Covid-19 PCR sample.

Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here

The UAE recorded 725 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the country's lowest in the past year.

Daily infections have dropped consistently over the past few weeks and cases have remained below 1,000 for 19 days in a row.

The last time daily infections were lower was on September 8, 2020, when 644 positive tests were reported.

The latest infections were identified from 298,919 PCR tests, bringing the total to more than 77.9 million conducted since the beginning of the outbreak.

Health officials said 945 beat the virus in the past 24 hours, pushing the total recoveries to 719,163.

Two people died due to underlying health conditions in the 24-hour reporting period, pushing the death toll to 2,062.

There are 7,041 active cases in the country.

The UAE will allow the return of all those with a valid residence visa from September 12, provided they have a vaccine recognised by the World Health Organisation.

The move includes those coming from countries previously on a suspension list, and those who stayed abroad for more than six months.

The latest change opens up travel to residence visa holders from listed countries not vaccinated in the Emirates.

The decision covers passengers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Namibia, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Authorities stressed the previous rules for unvaccinated, including exempted categories, remain in place.