UAE reports 994 new Covid-19 cases

Daily figures have declined steadily over the past few weeks

Signs remind people to wear a mask at the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The UAE reported 994 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday after an additional 219,958 tests were carried out.

This brings the country's overall tally of infections since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020 to 997,769.

No related deaths were reported and the toll remained at 2,337.

Another 1,038 people beat the virus, as total recoveries rose to 976,628.

More than 178 million PCR tests have been conducted since the start of the pandemic.

Daily figures have declined steadily throughout last month and into this month after a surge of infections in June.

Case numbers topped 1,800 on July 3 — having dropped below 200 in early May — but have now remained at fewer than 1,500 a day for more than two weeks.

On Friday, 998 new Covid-19 cases were reported, the lowest daily tally since June.

Authorities have urged the public to remain committed to safety measures, such as isolating after a positive test and wearing masks when required, to help to support the country's coronavirus recovery strategy.

Meanwhile, the findings of a study released on Thursday show one in eight people who contract coronavirus develop at least one symptom of long Covid.

In one of the most comprehensive studies on the condition, the research compared long Covid sufferers with people who have never been infected, making it possible that some of the health problems were not caused by the virus.

The study, published in The Lancet journal, found that of those with Covid, more than 21 per cent had at least one new or severely increased symptom three to five months after becoming infected.

But nearly 9 per cent of a control group who did not have Covid reported a similar increase.