Coronavirus: UAE announces 564 new cases, 99 recoveries, 7 deaths

UAE coronavirus, Covid-19, warning, travel, Coronavirus outbreak, tourists, Visa, Flight, lockdown, Pandemic, new cases, recoveries

As many as 26,000 new Covid-19 tests have also been conduced, the health ministry added.

By Web Report

Published: Sun 3 May 2020, 11:09 AM

Last updated: Mon 4 May 2020, 2:27 AM

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday announced 564 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The ministry also announced 99 new cases of recovery and seven deaths.
As many as 26,000 new Covid-19 tests have also been conduced, the ministry added.
With this, the total number of cases in the UAE stands at 14,163, total recoveries stand at 2,763, and deaths stand at 126.
On Saturday, Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, head of Hematology and Oncology, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, said that the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre is conducting clinical trials of the UAE's breakthrough stem cell treatment. The official clarified that the breakthrough supported and did not entirely cure a patient during the treatment period. This treatment is supportive and doesn't provide entire cure. It helps patients overcome the symptoms caused by the virus but doesn't kill it.

The treatment involves extracting stem cells from the patient's own blood and reintroducing them after activating them. It is expected to add to the global efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to ensure the health and safety of the people of the world. The new treatment was first experimented on a patient on April 4. And so far, 73 patients have been treated by stem cells with 25 per cent in the ICU.
Meanwhile, the UAE has sent an aid plane containing seven metric tonnes of medical supplies to India to help in curbing the spread of Covid-19 while India reciprocated by sending a team of 88 medics to the UAE. The UAE aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals in India as they work to combat the virus. To date, the UAE has provided more than 348 metric tonnes of aid to over 34 countries, supporting nearly 348,000 medical professionals in the process.
The UAE embassy in New Delhi confirmed that India has allowed the first batch of medics to fly to UAE despite the ongoing lockdown and freeze on air travel. The first batch of Indian healthcare professionals includes 88 specialist doctors and nurses who are on their way to the UAE. Earlier this month, India sent a batch of 5.5 million hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets, a drug found to be efficient in fighting Covid-19, to the UAE. This was the first batch in the over 30 million pills that India has promised to supply the UAE. India is fast-tracking a UAE request to supply 30 million HCQ tablets to help UAE curb the spread of coronavirus.

The UAE is slowly easing restrictions put in place to combat Covid-19. The Dubai Metro is now running, restaurants and shops are accepting customers once again, with precautions in place. Even the Gold Souq in Deira, which is among the more populated areas in the emirate, is now open.

Dubai had also eased the 24-hour movement restrictions in Naif and Al Ras areas after no new cases were recorded in the densely populated areas in two days. More than 6,000 tests were conducted among residents in the areas in less than a month.

Dr Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, had previously said that an increase in the number of cases is expected as the country has ramped up testing. At over a 1.2 million tests, the UAE has the third highest testing density in the world.

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) operated seven Covid-19 drive-thru testing centres round the clock to ensure none of the staff is infected as they return to work.