Coronavirus: UAE reports 347 Covid-19 cases, 882 recoveries, no deaths

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Friday reported 347 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 882 recoveries and no deaths.

More than 146 million PCR tests have been conducted in the country so far.

Total active cases stand at 24,420.

The total number of cases in UAE as on March 25 are 889,452, while total recoveries stand at 862,730. The death toll now stands at 2,302.

China reported 1,366 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 24, the country’s national health authority said on Friday, down from 2,054 a day earlier, though the number of asymptomatic infections increased.

Asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately, rose to 3,622 from 2,829 a day earlier. Shanghai’s locally transmitted asymptomatic infections surged to a record for the commercial hub of 1,582 from 979.

Though small by global standards, the new outbreaks are putting pressure on China’s “dynamic clearance” strategy aimed at minimising Covid-19 infections, with the highly infectious Omicron variant penetrating the country’s defences.

Meanwhile, Australia will roll out a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccines to its most vulnerable population starting next month, authorities said on Friday, as the country looks to limit fresh outbreaks ahead of winter.

The decision comes amid a steady rise in cases fuelled by the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain and concerns of co-circulation of Covid-19 and flu viruses during colder months as most social distancing restrictions end.

A second booster shot will be offered from April 4 to people who had their previous booster shot at least four months ago and are over 65 years, Indigenous Australians over 50, people with disability or severely immunocompromised, Health Minister Greg Hunt said during a media briefing.

• Dubai