Coronavirus: UAE reports 256 new cases

Another 462 people recovered in the past 24 hours

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 recorded 256 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, taking the overall tally of infections to 894,779.

Another 462 people overcame the virus as total recoveries climbed to 876,064.

The latest cases were confirmed after 285,495 additional PCR tests were conducted over the past 24 hours.

No deaths have been reported since March 7 and the toll remained at 2,302.

Cases have remained below the 250-mark since April 5 but went up marginally today.

The UAE's aggressive mass testing strategy and nationwide vaccination campaign have helped in fighting the pandemic.

According to The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, more than 151 million tests have been conducted to date.

The UAE has the highest percentage of vaccinated population among nations with at least 1 million people.

It is also ranked first globally for the rate of people to have received at least one dose, in statistics released by Our World in Data.

About 97.42 per cent of the eligible population have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, with authorities encouraging the public to take a third "booster" dose.

The Emirates is also placed second for the number of PCR tests conducted for every 1,000 people.

On Wednesday, the UAE said it would allow unvaccinated Emiratis to travel overseas from Saturday, April 16.

Citizens must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours of travel under the updated Covid-19 safety measures.

They must also complete travel forms in Al Hosn app to obtain a green status.

Authorities had banned unvaccinated citizens from travelling from January 10 as part of efforts to limit the spread of the virus.

The ban came into effect after the Omicron variant prompted a surge in infection rates around the world.