Coronavirus: 270 new cases as UAE passes 20 million vaccine-dose mark

Country 'fully prepared' to host Expo 2020 Dubai safely

A woman receives a dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine at the Sikh temple in Jebel Ali. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara in Jebel Ali teamed up with Tamouh Healthcare to provide on-site Sinopharm vaccination for all UAE residents free of charge.

Guru Nanak Darbar hosted an event at the Sikh temple in Dubai to vaccinate 4,500 adults of various nationalities and religions in February.

A medic administers a shot of Sinopharm vaccine at the temple in Jebel Ali.

People wait to receive a shot of the Sinopharm vaccine at the temple.

The UAE reported 270 new coronavirus cases and 350 recoveries on Wednesday.

Officials said one person died in the past 24 hours from complications.

The country has recorded 735,727 cases, 728,195 recoveries and 2,095 deaths from the virus, 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.

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

An additional 311,669 tests were conducted over the 24-hour reporting period, bringing to 83,684,325 the total carried out since the beginning of the pandemic.

A total of 54,675 vaccine doses were administered in the past 24 hours, meaning 20,018,034 doses have been administered in the UAE.

The UAE is ready to host Expo 2020 Dubai, with strict safety measures in place, authorities said on Tuesday. The world's fair opens on Friday.

Dr Taher Al Ameri, spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, said the country was “fully prepared to manage large-scale global events while ensuring the safety of all visitors and tourists".

He reminded the public to follow Covid-19 rules and to preserve the country’s achievements in fighting the pandemic.