UAE records 303 new COVID-19 cases, three deaths in 24 hours

The United Arab Emirates has recorded 303 new COVID-19 cases and three virus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the country’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on Friday.

The country’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 2,086, while 734,375 people have contracted the virus overall.

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Meanwhile, 373 people also recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 726,408.

Authorities announced Wednesday that rules wearing face masks in certain public places have been relaxed.

People exercising in public places, using private transportation with members of the same household, using swimming pools, beachgoers, medical center patients, and customers of beauty salons and barber shops will no longer be required by law to wear a mask.

Members of the public must still maintain a distance of two meters from one another, NCEMA added.

Local authorities will be obligated to erect signs in places where masks are no longer compulsory.

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A dip in new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks has been evidence of the effectiveness of the UAE’s vaccination and testing programs, allowing rules to be relaxed, NCEMA said.

On Tuesday, during a weekly UAE COVID-19 briefing, Dr Farida al-Hosani, spokesperson for the health sector, praised the community’s adherence to safety protocols and vaccine uptake, saying this has helped the UAE lead global efforts to overcome the pandemic.

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