DUBAI: The UAE health ministry on Saturday reported 1,066 new daily COVID-19 infections, the lowest overnight figure so far this year, and four additional coronavirus-related deaths.
The latest count brings the country’s current caseload to 708,302, including 2,018 fatalities, of which 689,277 patients have fully recovered from the highly contagious disease, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said in a statement.
The number of daily infections has been steadily going down as more residents and citizens get jabbed with COVID-19 vaccines. Around 83.86 percent of the UAE population has received at least a dose of the vaccine while 73.86 percent of these individuals have been fully vaccinated.
Health authorities have provided 17,622,541 doses of the coronavirus vaccine so far, equivalent to a vaccine distribution rate of 178.18 doses per 100 people.
The UAE’s aggressive vaccination campaign and widespread COVID-19 testing have largely contributed to a gradual decline in infections, after reaching almost 4,000 daily cases early this year.
In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) on Saturday opened three new Drive-Through Services Centers located in Liwa, Sila, and Dalma in the Al Dhafra region.
The new centers feature two tracks, one for nasal swabs and the other for DPI laser-based testing with a capacity of 500 nasal swabs and 100 laser tests per day.
The centers are open throughout the week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
This brings the total number of SEHA COVID-19 drive-through facilities to 24 across the country with a combined capacity of over 140,000 PCR tests per week, a statement said.