Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,590 new Covid-19 cases as 1,609 recover

Active cases drop to 22,843 as daily recoveries exceed infections

Abu Dhabi residents enjoy the winter weather on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A couple watch the sunset from the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A man plays at Arena Games at DIFC Gate Avenue. Reem Mohammed / The National

Staff disinfects the lobby at the Waldorf Astoria on Al Hamra Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Leslie Pableo for The National

A pianist performs at the Waldorf Astoria on Al Hamra Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Leslie Pableo for The National

Children play at Zabeel park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A closed notice is pasted on the gate of a church in Jebel Ali in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A man sells balloons in Zabeel park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A medical staff member answers questions from people getting tested at the DPI Testing Centres in Ghantoot, at the border of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Leslie Pableo for The National

Tests are carried out at the drive-through DPI screening centres in Ghantoot, at the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Leslie Pableo for The National

Another 1,590 cases of Covid-19 were reported across the UAE on Sunday, ending a four-day streak of the highest number of daily infections reported.

The new cases raised the country’s total to 213,231, of which 189,709 have recovered after 1,609 more patients were cleared of the virus over the past 24 hours.

Officials said five patients died, taking the country’s death toll to 679.

Recoveries exceeded new infections for the second consecutive day, lowering the number of active cases to 22,843 – a decrease of about 25 since Saturday.

The highest number of active cases recorded in the Emirates was 24,173 on December 21, after dropping as low as 1,822 on November 4.

More than 2.3 million DPI and PCR tests have been conducted since the outbreak, of which 125,232 were carried out since Saturday.

Two voluntary and free vaccination campaigns are currently under way in the Emirates.

Sinopharm’s vaccine, which includes a killed version of the virus, is on offer throughout the country. It is administered in two doses over 21 to 28 days, and is 86 per cent effective, UAE regulators say.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is authorised for use in Dubai, where authorities 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.

Last week, authorities in Dubai said they planned to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the emirate’s population with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of 2021.

“We are targeting to vaccinate approximately 70 per cent of the population of Dubai by the end of 2021. We want to reach the herd immunity that is required,” said Farida Al Khaja, chairwoman of the emirate’s steering committee for Covid-19 vaccinations.