People sit as they wait their turn for vaccine trials in Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 6, 2020. (Reuters)

UAE reports 1,967 coronavirus cases, highest daily infections since outbreak

United Arab Emirates

Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English

Published: 06 January ,2021: 12:37 AM GST Updated: 06 January ,2021: 10:08 AM GST

The UAE reported 1,967 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic.

The Ministry of Health also reported 1,866 new recoveries and three deaths over the past 24 hours. The country’s COVID-19 tally stood at 216,699 confirmed cases, 193,321 recovered, and 685 deaths.

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“We have noticed a marked increase in the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide, and an increase in the number of cases registered in UAE due to the increase in commuting between emirates, in addition to the presence of cases coming from outside the UAE arriving at various airports,” National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said.

The UAE plans to control the recent rise in cases by increasing the rate of vaccination.

“We aim to focus on vaccination for the largest possible percentage of society, and access to the acquired immunity resulting from vaccination, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the disease,” NCEMA said.

“We aim to reach more than 50 percent of the country's population during the first quarter of this year. This will help us reduce cases in general, reduce critical cases in particular, and control the disease better in the next phase,” it added.

The UAE had announced in December opening several locations where residents and nationals could receive the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine voluntarily. Initially launched in the capital Abu Dhabi, the campaign was extended to include all of the country's emirates.

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