UAE reports 1,129 new cases after record 136,000 tests

A member of customer service staff walks past the Rain Vortex waterfall inside the Jewel Changi Airport mall in Singapore. The airport reported a 36 per cent downturn in profits due to travel restrictions. EPA

A policeman on a Segway patrols on the departure floor at Tokyo International Airport after Japan started easing entry restrictions to visitors from around the world. EPA

A traveler arriving on the first international commercial flight to land in South Africa since lockdown is welcomed at Cape Town International Airport, South Africa. EPA

A health worker sprays sanitizer on a passenger at Damascus International Airport on its re-opening day for regular international commercial traffic. Reuters

Thai health officials check the body temperature of an arriving foreigner prior to heading to a 14-day quarantine period, at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. EPA

A passenger wearing a protective suit and face mask enters the Jorge Chavez International Airport, Peru, as international flights resume after a break of more than six months. AFP

A firefighter sprays disinfectant on luggage at the entrance of Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Reuters

A worker wears a sign that says "Distance friend" outside of the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru. Reuters

A health worker administers a Covid-19 swab test on a French soldier at Charles de Gaulle airport, France. Bloomberg

Passengers at 'Leonardo da Vinci' airport, near Rome, Italy. The health authorities of the Lazio Region have decided to build in an additional rapid Covid-19 test center. EPA

The UAE recorded 1,129 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday following the biggest day of testing to date.

The authorities confirmed one further death and 1,070 recoveries. In the past day, 136,430 people were screened for the virus.

The latest numbers took the total to 105,133, while the death toll was 443.

Officials said 95,973 patients in the Emirates have recovered to date.

Weekend testing figures have been consistently high in recent weeks. People working in hospitality, schools, hospitals and transport are often screened every week or fortnight, while residents must be tested to enter Abu Dhabi.

The authorities continued to crack down on businesses violating strict precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus.

On Saturday, Dubai Economy inspectors fined 25 businesses for failing to enforce safety and social distancing rules.

During the inspections, 317 businesses were found to comply with regulations.

On Friday, the authority closed down an unnamed retailer on its opening day due to overcrowding.

Staff were unable to adhere to social distancing measures which led to a surge of shoppers filling the premises to take advantage of the opening day offers.

Another business was fined for similar violations and 10 more shops received warnings.

Globally, European countries are facing the prospect of new restrictions, including lockdowns, after coronavirus cases in the region rose by 28 per cent in a week.

On Friday, Madrid in Spain was forced into a partial lockdown as cases spiked in the city. And in Germany, chancellor Angela Merkel warned of tougher action in hotspots across the country if numbers did not begin to decrease or plateau.

Global cases of Covid-19 stand at 36.9 million according to Johns Hopkins University, with 1.07m deaths and 25.7 million recoveries.