The UAE has recorded more than 200,000 Covid-19 infections since confirming its first cases in January. The figure was surpassed after 1,227 new cases were reported on Saturday following an additional 157,461 tests. A further 1,542 patients were given the all-clear, as the recovery tally climbed to 177,407. The number of recoveries has exceeded new infections for five days, helping to reduce the total of active cases to 22,830. Active cases had peaked at 24,173 on December 21, after dipping as low as 1,822 on November 4. Two patients died as the country's death toll rose to 655. The UAE's overall total of 200,892 infections were detected as a result of more than 20 million tests. Officials have made a mass screening strategy a key part of their efforts to curb the spread of the virus. The cost of the Covid-19 test has fallen greatly in recent months from a typical average of Dh370 to as little as Dh85. As well as operating targeted screening in higher-risk areas, such as those which are densely populated, authorities have made the test widely available at drive-through centres and even at malls. The country is also playing a leading role in distributing crucial Covid-19 vaccines to the public. Sinopharm's vaccine, that includes a killed version of the virus, is on offer across the country. It is administered in two doses over 28 days and is 86 per cent effective, according to UAE regulators. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is authorised for use in Dubai, where officials have set out priority groups for inoculation before the jab is made available to the wider public. This vaccine contains a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognise the spiked protein on the surface of the virus.
