Coronavirus: UAE daily cases drop below 3,000 for first time in weeks as record 220,000 doses given

More than 4,000 daily recoveries were recorded in latest reporting period

An employee at Dubai International Airport walks past a poster reminding passengers to keep a safe distance from each other, after the resumption of scheduled operations by Emirates on May 22. Karim Sahib / AFP

People wear face masks as they play football in the grassy area outside the closed Zabeel park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Passengers of an Emirates flight prepare to board a plan to Sydney at Dubai International Airport. Karim Sahib / AFP

Workers wear face masks as they buy food from. asupermarket oin Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A man carries a sack of onions at Al Mina Vegetables and Fruits Market in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Al Wadha Mall in Abu Dhabi reopens with measures in place to protect shoppers. Victor Besa / The National

Al Wadha Mall in Abu Dhabi reopens with measures in place to protect shoppers. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors wear face masks while snowboarding at Ski Dubai, which reopened on May 27 along with cinemas, gyms and other entertainment venues. Mahmoud Khaled / EPA

Beach-goers lie on lounge chairs by the shoreline near Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai on May 20, as Covid-19 measures are eased. Karim Sahib / AFP

A Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel staff member waits to greet guests in Dubai as safety measures are eased. Karim Sahib / AFP

People eat at a restaurant in Dubai as measures begin to ease.However, precautions are still. inplace to protect diners. Karim Sahib / AFP

Stickers are placed along aisles at a supermarket in Dubai marking safe distances for shoppers to maintain to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. AFPo

Officers man Dubai Plice's Command and Control Centre amid the coronavirus outbreak. Karim Sahib / AFP

The UAE's reported coronavirus caseload fell below 3,000 for the first time in three weeks as the second highest daily death toll to date was recorded.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention reported 2,948 cases on Sunday, taking the total to 303,609.

Twelve people died after contracting coronavirus, raising the death toll in the Emirates to 850.

It is a second day running that 12 deaths of Covid-19 patients have been announced.

A record-high 13 deaths were reported on May 10 of last year.

A further 4,189 patients overcame the virus as the recovery tally climbed to 276,958.

The latest infections were detected as a result of 184,260 tests.

More than 25.7 million tests have been conducted nationwide since the outbreak began.

The number of active cases in the UAE fell to 25,801.

Sunday's figures represented the lowest number of daily infections since January 11, when 2,404 cases were recorded.

After that date, authorities reported a record-high number of infections for 17 days in a row, hitting a peak of 3,966 cases on Thursday, January 28.

Infection rates have since fallen for three days in a row.

Private hospitals across Dubai have stepped up efforts to combat the pandemic as case numbers surged since the start of the year.

Isolation wards are being set up, copying the response during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak last March.

An immunisation drive is also under way.

The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday the UAE had administered 220,000 doses over the previous 24 hours - the highest rate in the inoculation drive so far. The UAE is now second in the world in terms of doses administered per 100 people.

More than 3.3 million doses of vaccine have been administered since the campaign started last month.

The UAE aims to inoculate half of its population by the end of March.