Coronavirus: UAE reports 2,013 Covid-19 cases, 2,240 recoveries, 5 deaths

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Saturday reported 2,013 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 2,240 recoveries and 5 deaths.

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The new cases were detected through 240,035 additional tests.

Over 35.1 million tests have been carried out to date as part of the UAE's massive screening campaign. The total number of cases in UAE as on March 20 are 438,638 while total recoveries stand at 420,736. The death toll rises to 1,433.

Hospitals in Dubai can now resume elective surgeries and other non-urgent surgical procedures that were previously suspended. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Saturday issued a circular that allows hospitals and one-day surgery centres to resume the surgeries from March 21. Hospitals have been advised by the authority to abide by bed occupancy rate.

The overall number of global Covid-19 cases has surpassed 122.2 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.70 million. The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 29,728,104 and 541,096, respectively. On Saturday, India reported 40,953 new cases, the biggest daily jump in nearly four months, with its richest state and economic backbone Maharashtra accounting for more than half the infections. Some regions in India have already reimposed containment measures, including lockdowns and restaurant closures, and more are being considered.

In Philippines, the ministry has announced that all citizens can enter the country. Previously, it had allowed only those classified as 'overseas Filipino workers' to return. The Philippines had announced the travel restrictions as authorities battle to contain a spike in coronavirus infections.

Meanwhile, Naif area in Dubai has registered a sharp drop in Covid-19 violations this year after an awareness campaign in 2020 targeting residents, most of whom work in small time businesses. Dubai Police registered 614 Covid-19 violations in the area since January, compared to more than 6,612 violations last year for failure to wear masks, not maintaining social distancing and exceeding limit of people allowed in a place.