Coronavirus: UAE reports 2,084 new cases and five deaths

The latest results take total number of infections since outbreak to 847, 142

A man taking a PCR test at the centre in Mina Rashed. Pawan Singh / The National

Long queues at VPS Healthcare testing centre. Pawan Singh / The National

Cars queue up at the MenaLabs Covid-19 drive-through testing centre. There has been a huge increase in the number of people getting tested for the coronavirus as schools opened for the second term and new weekly testing rules for government employees in Abu Dhabi came into force. Antonie Robertson / The National

Many people are also getting tested before travelling overseas. A negative test prior to departure is required for most destinations. Pawan Singh / The National

The average waiting time was two hours at the MenaLabs Covid-19 drive-through testing centre on Monday. Antonie Robertson / The National

Some testing centres reported a huge rush and that demand for PCR tests had trebled in recent days. Antonie Robertson / The National

Long queues at testing centres and clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National

To enter Abu Dhabi, vaccinated people must show Al Hosn green pass and those who are not must present a negative PCR test taken less than 96 hours prior to crossing the border. Antonie Robertson / The National

Queues at the Seha Covid-19 drive-through testing centre at Mina Rashed in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Queues outside Parkview Hospital Covid-19 testing facility in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Rapid tests are becoming more popular for those needing a quick turnaround to travel or attend events that require proof of negative status. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Covid-19 case numbers in the UAE rose steadily through December as Omicron infections surged globally. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Latest updates on Omicron

The UAE reported another 2,084 cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday and five deaths.

The daily caseload pushed the total number of coronavirus infections to 847,142 and the death toll rose to 2,248.

Health officials said total recoveries reached 778,163 after 1,067 people beat the virus in the 24-hour reporting period.

The latest cases were detected from 499,836 PCR tests. More than 125 million tests have been carried out since the first case was reported on January 29, 2020.

Active cases stand at 66,731.

According to research and data website - https://ourworldindata.org - the vaccination rate in the UAE is one of the highest in the world.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management data shows 23.5 million vaccine doses have been given to citizens and residents since December 2020 and 94.04 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.

On Tuesday, Dubai opened booking for Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 and above.

Parents make appointments on the Dubai Health Authority app as of Tuesday, February 1.

"The current Covid-19 vaccination is available for citizens and Dubai residents who have a valid Dubai residence visa and are 5 years and above," a message on the booking section on the DHA app said.

Case numbers have been on a downward trend since Thursday. The highest numbers this month were 3,116 recorded on January 15.