UAE says return to everyday office life likely as Covid-19 infections fall

Decrease in cases heralds cautious return to normality and return of tourism, officials said in the weekly coronavirus briefing

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UAE authorities on Tuesday said a fall in Covid-19 infections will mark a return to offices for workers and the cautious resumption of tourism and economic activity.

At its weekly coronavirus briefing, the government said the decrease in cases vindicates the UAE’s strategy for curbing Covid-19 through rules, vaccination and coexistence with the virus.

This means a cautious return to normality is on the horizon, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) said.

“The decrease in the number of infections is offset by a gradual return to normal life, the return of the country’s economic and tourism activity in a broader way and the return of employees to practise their work from the headquarters of the entities to which they belong,” Ncema posted on social media. Ncema posts a summary of the briefing on social media, which is also broadcast on TV.

“We have witnessed a decrease in the number of [infections] and this came as confirmation of the success of the state’s strategy to deal with the variables and developments of the crisis, as appropriate measures are taken based on the data.”

Authorities also confirmed they had noted an increase in tourism activity but said anyone travelling should follow rules and not take risks.

“We have witnessed a demand for tourism inside and outside the country as a result of its adoption of a package of precautionary and preventive measures,” Ncema said.

It said the country had safely navigated last week’s Eid Al Adha holiday through collective observance of Covid-19 rules.

Mass testing and one of the world’s fastest vaccination programmes have helped the Emirates to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

UAE sends Covid-19 aid across the world

The briefing also heard that close to 200 medical aid flights were sent across the world to help fight the pandemic. Field hospitals were also set up in countries such as Sudan, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

It also heard that about 2,154 tonnes of medical aid, respiratory and screening equipment, personal personal protection equipment and detection tests were sent to 135 countries around the world.

The UAE, meanwhile, reported 1,539 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections to 674,724.

Another 1,497 patients beat the virus, taking the total number of recoveries to 652,180.

Two more people died from Covid-19, taking the death toll to 1,929 since the pandemic began.

Cases have dropped sharply since January, when they hovered close to 4,000.

The authorities said 77.91 per cent of the UAE population had received one Covid-19 vaccine dose, and 69.35 per cent had received two.