Coronavirus: UAE records 1,538 new cases in new high

Medical staff at Dubai's Mina Rashid drive-through testing centre smile for the camera. All photos by Chris Whiteoak / The National

Staff take DPI blood test samples, which give an indication of whether someone has the virus

Medics bag up samples at the drive-through, which is one of the country's busiest

The DPI sample blood sample allows drivers to cross the border into Abu Dhabi - but a PCR nasal swab test is needed to travel abroad

Staff have worked in gowns and other PPE gear throughout the sweltering summer

People get tested tests at Mina Rashid screening centre

Queues of vehicles are commonly seen outside the centre

Staff work to give people a result in just minutes

Staff work to give people a result in just minutes

The UAE recorded 1,538 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, after conducting a further 130,567 tests.

The infections raised the country's total to 114,387 since January and it represents the highest daily case tally so far.

Another 1,411 patients were cleared of the coronavirus, adding to a recovery total of 106,353.

And four patients died, raising the death toll to 459.

The UAE has carried out more than 11 million tests since the outbreak, making it among the top countries for screening per capita.

It comes as UAE minister are being vaccinated against Covid-19. On Saturday, Noura Al Kaabi took the jab, while on Friday, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, was vaccinated against Covid-19.

He shared an image of himself on Twitter giving the thumbs up while getting vaccinated, with the words, “A Corona vaccination is our way to return to a normal life.”

The UAE's health minister, Abdulrahman Al Owais, was given the first dose of the vaccine last month. It was initially announced that it would be given to frontline health workers in emergency cases.

"By presenting this vaccine, we seek to provide all safety means for the heroes of the first line of defence,” said Mr Al Owais.

“We want to protect them from any dangers that they may face due to the nature of their work.”

Other senior Abu Dhabi officials have taken the vaccine, including Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed, chair of the emirate's executive office, and Obaid Al Shamsi, director general of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.