Coronavirus: new infections still in decline despite high turnout for testing

This year's lowest number of daily Covid-19 cases was reported on Wednesday

Staff cleaning the play area at Brighton College Dubai. Pawan Singh/The National

Brighton College Dubai in Al Barsha South started a cleaning drive in preparation for the new school year.

Thermal cameras have been installed at the entrance at Brighton College Dubai.

Simon Crane, headmaster at Brighton College Dubai, shows visitors being scanned by the thermal camera installed at the entrance.

Cleaning staff disinfecting the play area.

No entry without mask stickers are pasted outside classrooms at Brighton College Dubai.

Simon Crane, Head Master at Brighton College Dubai, is overseeing the cleaning drive before the new academic year.

Staff cleaning the doors, classrooms and corridors at Brighton College Dubai.

No entry without mask stickers pasted outside the classrooms of Brighton College Dubai.

Staff cleaning the doors, classrooms, corridors at Brighton College Dubai before pupils returning on August 29.

Deep cleaning and sanitisation takes place before pupils return to on-site learning.

The UAE reported 983 new coronavirus cases and 1,583 recoveries on Wednesday.

Officials said two people died in the past 24 hours from virus-related complications.

The country has recorded 712,411 cases, 695,843 recoveries and 2,028 deaths since the first Covid-19 case was detected in the Emirates on January 29 last year.

The lowest number of positive cases detected in 2021 was reported on Wednesday.

Widespread testing and tracing, stringent safety measures and a high vaccination rate are all credited with bringing down daily infections.

Active cases dipped to 13,940 in the country. The total number of PCR tests carried out since the beginning of the outbreak is 73,194,799.

66,210 doses of the vaccine were given in the last 24 hours.

85.33 per cent of the population have now received one dose and 74.79 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the UAE's public schools will stage a staggered return to the classroom.

Half the number of pupils will be present for in-person classes while everyone is expected back the following week.

The Emirates Schools Establishment, the regulator of the UAE's public schools, announced the rules before the start of the new academic year on Sunday, when tens of thousands of pupils are set to return to the classroom.

The rules are intended to curb the spread of Covid-19 while ensuring a safe path back to school.