The UAE recorded 2,101 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday. The latest cases brought the overall tally of infections to 434,465. A further 2,628 people recovered, raising the total to 416,105. The death toll in the Emirates is 1,424 after a further 10 people died. The number of active cases fell to 16,936 after recoveries exceeded new infections for a fifth consecutive day. An additional 198,328 Covid-19 tests were carried out during the 24-hour period. More than 34.6 million tests have been conducted since the outbreak began. Case numbers have reduced significantly since late January, when close to 4,000 infections were recorded most days. The reduction coincided with one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world. The UAE on Tuesday said it had achieved its target of vaccinating half the country’s population – two weeks before its target date. Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said at the weekly Covid-19 briefing that 52.46 per cent of the UAE’s population had been immunised.