UAE records 77 Covid-19 cases after 339,318 tests carried out

No deaths were reported on Friday

Lab staff working in the sample preparation room at Dubai Airport (DXB). All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Close to Terminal 2, the laboratory is a dedicated centre for around-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples collected from passengers at DXB.

Lab staff working in Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

One of the world’s busiest airports now has one of the world’s biggest in-house Covid-19 testing laboratories.

The laboratory reduces waiting times for passengers arriving by making sure their PCR test results are delivered in only four to six hours.

Before the lab opened in June, the passengers’ samples were collected from the airport every 12 hours.

Now samples are collected every 30 minutes and transported to the in-house facility operated by Pure Health.

Carlo Kaabar, medical director of Mohap Laboratories, at Dubai Airport's in-house PCR lab.

After a batch of samples is received, the staff first check their integrity and verify the passengers’ details using barcodes.

Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

If passengers test positive, they need to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

Lab staff scanning the barcode of a Covid-19 PCR sample.

The UAE reported 77 new Covid-19 cases and no deaths on Friday.

A further 93 people recovered from the virus, bringing the country's overall recovery tally to 735,992.

In another day of large-scale screening, 339,318 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

The latest infections brought the country's Covid-19 cases total to 741,291.

The total death toll is 2,144.

More than 97.8 million PCR tests have been carried out in the UAE and case numbers have declined sharply in recent months – dropping to below 100 new cases a day for the past few weeks.

Death rates have also dropped significantly – down to zero on some days – in another encouraging sign of the country’s recovery from the pandemic.

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers said wearing masks is the most effective measure to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Face coverings were shown to reduce the number of cases of coronavirus by 53 per cent.

Researchers said the results showed the importance of continued precautions such as mask-wearing, social distancing and handwashing, alongside vaccination programmes, in controlling the spread of the virus.