Coronavirus: UAE conducts record number of PCR tests in 24-hour period

More than 300,000 tests carried out, with 1,747 returning positive

People get tested for coronavirus at the Mina Rashid screening centre in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, health authorities have called upon citizens and residents to join with the efforts of health care professionals. Health workers, such as these Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, have led the way. Reem Mohammed / The National

Healthcare workers at the emergency ward in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. The President, Sheikh Khalifa, has paid tribute to the frontline workers who helped to curb Covid-19. Reem Mohammed / The National

Healthcare workers at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City receive a patient outside the emergency department. Reem Mohammed / The National

A consultant physician at the emergency department in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, receives a Covid-19 patient. Reem Mohammed / The National

People get the laser blood test tests at the Mina Rashid screening centre in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A nurse sanitises her hands after conducting a swab test at one of the UAE's screening drive-through centres in Mina Rashid, Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

A health worker taking the Covid-19 nasal swab test at a testing station in thet Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Nurse Renu Venugopal, who contracted Covid-19, recovered and continued to treat patients at Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ruth Deva Kiruba says being pregnant during a pandemic was surreal and sometimes lonely. Chris Whiteoak / The National

EMT nurse Jephy Antony, who contracted Covid-19, recovered and continued to treat patients at the NMC Royal Hospital, DIP, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A visitor gets tested at the Ras Al Khaimah Covid-19 drive-through testing centre. Reem Mohammed / The National

Nurse Nikhil Rajendran inside the fever clinic at the Bareen International Hospital in Mohamed Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Shane Simeon Galang from Philippines, Mervat Aslan Mhgoub Mohamed from Egypt and Sowmya Kotian from India, who are nurses at the Bareen International Hospital in Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

The UAE carried out a record number of PCR tests on Wednesday.

Officials said 302,318 tests were conducted in the 24-hour period, taking the tally to 57.7 million.

A further 1,747 people tested positive for coronavirus, 1,731 recovered and four people died from complications.

The country has recorded 632,907 cases, 611,442 recoveries and 1,811 deaths since the first Covid-19 case was detected in the Emirates on January 29 last year.

Widespread testing and tracing, stringent safety measures and a high vaccination rate have been credited for bringing down daily infections.

Cases have dropped since reaching close to 4,000 a day in January.

Meanwhile, a ban on travellers from four South Asian countries where the highly infectious Delta variant was detected will continue for three more weeks, Etihad Airways said.

The national airline said restrictions on passengers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka would remain in place until July 21.

The ban was first imposed on travellers from India in late April, when cases there soared, followed by the other three countries on May 12.