UAE records 65 new Covid-19 cases

A further 77 people recovered from the virus during 24-hour reporting period

Billboards along Sheikh Zayed Road thanking the Covid vaccine volunteers for the Phase 3 trials conducted in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease in Dubai. Reuters

People queue for the vaccine near DIFC in Dubai. AFP

The DPI screening centre on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is quick and results are out in a matter of minutes. Antonie Robertson / The National

A woman receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Zabeel Health Centre in Dubai. EPA

Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara partnered with Tamouh Health Care to provide on-site Sinopharm Vaccination for all residents of the UAE free of charge in February. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE residents receive their vaccine free of charge in February. Pawan Singh / The National

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

The UAE confirmed 65 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as another 77 people beat the virus.

One person died during the 24-hour reporting period.

The country has recorded 742,041 infections, 736,939 recoveries and 2,147 deaths to date.

The number of active cases stands at 2,955.

The latest cases were detected as a result of 324,406 PCR tests.

More than 101 million tests have been conducted since the outbreak began as part of a mass screening strategy.

The comprehensive testing effort has been central to the UAE's fight against the pandemic, alongside a nationwide vaccination drive.

On Sunday night, the government said all adults were now eligible for a third shot. Until now, boosters were largely limited to people with health conditions, over 50s, and those who had the Sinopharm vaccine early on in the inoculation campaign.

The move is aimed at helping to contain the spread of the virus following the emergence of the Omicron strain, classified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation.