Covid in UAE: Daily cases cross 2,700-mark for second time this month

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 2,759 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 913 recoveries and one death.

Total active cases stand at 30,418.

The new cases were detected through 469,028 additional tests.

The total number of cases in UAE as on January 9 are 785,625, while total recoveries stand at 753,033. The death toll now stands at 2,174.

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Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates airline has closed its onboard lounges and social areas for passengers on board its A380 aircraft for the safety of the travellers due to a surge in coronavirus cases.

An average of over two million new daily cases have been reported in the past seven days while new global cases have increased by 270 per cent since the Omicron variant was discovered in South Africa in late November.

“In light of health and safety considerations, Emirates has temporarily modified some aspects of our onboard service. Our onboard lounge and the social area will not be available to customers at this time,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

In October 2020, Emirates rolled out a redesigned experience onboard A380 with the introduction of additional health and safety measures. The airline had also enhanced its offering, introducing a nutrient-rich welcome drink for the winter season.

Meanwhile, more than 150,000 people have died after catching coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the government said Saturday, in a milestone for one of the worst affected countries in Europe.

The government reported that deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test had reached 150,057 since the start of the pandemic. Russia is the only European country with a higher death toll.

The number of daily reported cases has fallen since a record figure of more than 200,000 last week, with 146,390 cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The massive number of people testing positive or in self-isolation has hit health staff numbers, prompting the defence ministry to announce Friday that it will send troops in to assist staff in hospitals.

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi