UAE: 14,708 vaccine doses administered in 24 hours

The UAE has administered 14,708 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the past 24 hours.

The country's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the total doses administered now stand at 23.7 million.

This takes the rate of doses to 239.99 doses per 100 people.

The UAE’s daily Covid-19 cases dipped to its lowest this year as the country recorded 1,704 infections on February 7. Additionally, the number of recoveries (1,992) was higher than infections for the first time in weeks.

Monday’s tally of 1,704 cases marked the second time in three days when daily cases dipped below the 2,000-mark. On February 5, the country had reported 1,991 cases.

Daily infections breached the 2,000-mark on December 29 last year. This was days after the country had successfully brought down the number of daily cases to less than 50 on December 6. It crossed the 3,100-mark in mid-January, 2022, before stabilising just over the 2,000-mark.

Monday’s record dip in the number of cases comes on the back of a robust vaccination campaign that has seen 100 per cent eligible UAE residents receive at least one dose, and close to 95 per cent fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Thailand will have talks on bilateral travel bubble arrangements with China and Malaysia later this month, an official said on Monday, as part of efforts to bolster a steady recovery in its crucial tourism sector.

Thailand received a record of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019 - more than a quarter of those from China - but total arrivals slumped to about 0.5 per cent of that last year, due to weaker external demand and tight quarantine and entry requirements.

Southeast Asia's holiday hotspots have suffered billions in lost business from the lack of tourists from mainland China, which has yet to agree any travel bubble arrangements.

An agreement with Thailand would determine the number of people allowed in the exchange, including protocols for visas, travel and insurance, said government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, adding China had agreed to discuss the "tourist exchange".

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi