Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,077 Covid-19 cases, 1,611 recoveries, 3 deaths

Dubai - The UAE has conducted over 70 million tests so far.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Thursday reported 1,077 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 1,611 recoveries and 3 deaths.

The new cases were detected through 318,348 additional tests.

The total number of cases in UAE as on August 19 are 706,166 while total recoveries stand at 686,025. The death toll now stands at 2,012.

Earlier, Abu Dhabi announced the end of the National Sterilisation Programme today.

The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said the movement restrictions implemented from midnight till 5am have achieved its objective.

Residents are advised to adhere to precautionary measures for their safety.

Green pass to access public places

From Friday, entry to public places in Abu Dhabi will be granted only to Covid-19 vaccinated individuals and those who hold a green status — which appears after a negative PCR test result and remains valid for 30 days — on the AlHosn app.

The activation of the green pass system will prohibit unvaccinated people from entering shopping malls, restaurants, cafes, retail outlets, gyms, recreational facilities and sporting activities, health clubs, resorts and educational institutions.

Ministry guidelines for schools

Teachers will have to wear facemasks all the time when in classrooms and should always be at least one metre away from students when pupils return for face-to-face learning during the new school year which begins in September, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has said.

Authorities have also told students to avoid shaking hands while greeting others and exchange school equipment with care when using personal protective equipment as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

In their latest schools’ guide, the MoE said when pupils return for lessons on campuses, the educational institutions should follow protocols to protect the entire school community, pointed out authorities.

No appointment needed for Covid jabs in Abu Dhabi

Meanwhile, budget carrier flydubai has announced that passengers returning from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to Dubai can take a rapid PCR test six hours prior to the flight departure.

The new directive is in line with a notification issued by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to provide extra flexibility for the airlines to facilitate the operations.

In New Zealand, the latest Covid-19 outbreak jumped to 21 cases on Thursday, but the authorities said the virus may not have been in the community for long as they linked its origin to a recent returnee from Sydney.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Chief Ashley Bloomfield told a news conference 11 new cases had been reported over the past day.

Ardern said genome sequencing revealed the current positive cases were a close match to a returnee from Sydney who arrived on a flight on August 7.

The person tested positive to a Covid-19 on August 9 and was moved to a quarantine facility.

• Abu Dhabi