Coronavirus: UAE reports 689 Covid-19 cases, 660 recoveries, no deaths

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 689 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 660 recoveries and no deaths.

Total active cases stand at 19,288.

The new cases were detected through 213,603 additional tests.

The total number of cases in UAE as on August 21 are 1,009,776, while total recoveries stand at 988,147. The death toll now stands at 2,341.

Medics in the UAE reiterate that a visit to the paediatrician is a must for children before schools finally reopen on 29 August.

Doctors also underline that the general check-up is especially important this year, as the pandemic is seemingly slowing down but still simmering.

Dr Puneet Wadhwa, a specialist pediatrician with Prime Hospital, opines, “Apart from a general check-up physical fitness can be evaluated whether the child is ready to join school or not. Additionally, if child is taking any prescription medicine or any vitamins, that can be refilled.”

He adds, “parents can also consider if a child is eligible for Covid-19 vaccine or not. Since, the Covid vaccine is available from the age of five, parents can think of getting their child vaccinated before their ward joins school.”

Meanwhile, the UN health agency said there were 5.4 million new Covid-19 cases reported last week, a decline of 24 per cent from the previous week. Infections fell everywhere in the world, including by nearly 40 per cent in Africa and Europe and by a third in the Middle East. Covid deaths rose in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia by 31 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, but fell or remained stable everywhere else.

At a press briefing Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said reported coronavirus deaths over the past month have surged 35 per cent, and noted there had been 15,000 deaths in the past week.

• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai