UAE records 1,537 new Covid-19 cases and 1,518 recoveries

Saturday's figures reveal one of the country's busiest testing days to date, when 300,637 were carried out in 24 hours

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 recorded 1,537 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, bringing its total to 680,858.

Another 1,518 people beat the virus as the recovery tally climbed to 658,198.

Six more patients died after contracting Covid-19, raising the death toll to 1,949.

The number of active cases in the country now stands at 20,711.

The latest cases were detected as a result of 300,637 tests, one of the country’s largest testing days to date.

Close to 66 million PCR tests have been conducted nationwide since the outbreak began as part of mass screening aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

The comprehensive testing strategy is allied with a major vaccination drive.

More than 16.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been distributed to the public since December.