DUBAI: The UAE on Friday announced 3,552 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, as the number of infections once again hit new daily high. An additional 10 people died of conditions related to the disease.
Officials from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) said the total number of cases in the country has reached 270,810, while the death toll stands at 776. A total of 243,267 patients have recovered from the disease, including 3,945 in the past 24 hours.
Health authorities said they have administered 2.34 million doses of the vaccine, including 93,004 in the past 24 hours. With 23.65 doses administered per 100 people, the UAE has the second-highest vaccination rate in the world, after Israel. The country is aiming to vaccinate 50 percent of the population by April.
Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced changes to social-distancing rules that require the distance between tables at restaurants and cafes to be increased from two to three meters, and the number of people allowed to sit at a single table to be reduced from 10 to seven in restaurants, and four in cafes.
It also announced a new rule that limits the number of people permitted to attend weddings, social events and private parties to a maximum of 10 first-degree relatives. The rule, which will take effect from Jan. 27, applies to events in public venues such as hotels and in people’s own homes.
Congratulations to Sabha Salem Al Derei, who at 100 years old just received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Al Quaa Healthcare Center, setting an example for all citizens and residents.#SEHA #VaccinatedFor #Healthcare #inAbuDhabi #VaccinatedAndStillCommitted pic.twitter.com/Qh5MiZrykD
— SEHA - شركة صحة (@SEHAHealth) January 22, 2021
Dubai Economy and Dubai Sports Council have directed gyms and fitness centers to increase the distance between sports equipment, and between customers, from two to three meters.
During daily inspection tours, officials from Dubai Economy issued fines to 17 commercial establishments over failures to adhere to COVID-19 precautions. They included businesses that specialize in used furniture, textiles and fabrics, meat and mobile phones, and a management center that supports labor services.
Dubai Municipality said that following visits by its inspectors, five businesses were ordered to close, four were fined and warnings were issued to 18 for not complying with precautionary measures.
Dubai Tourism said that a number of live events in the emirate on Friday — including concerts by Egyptian singer Amr Diab at the Dubai International Stadium and Algerian-French singer Enrico Macias at Dubai Opera — were going ahead as planned, with stringent safety protocols in place.
The authority said on Thursday that all previously issued entertainment permits “will be on hold effective immediately,” and that it will continue to evaluate the situation with health authorities.
Also on Thursday, Dubai Maritime City Authority ordered the temporary suspension of entertainment activities on floating restaurants and other vessels.
Lt. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa Al-Marri, the commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, called on the public to fully comply with all preventative measures mandated by the authorities. During an interview broadcast by Dubai TV, he said that “everyone was compliant by 100 percent” but that the recent spike in infections could be attributed to an increase in gatherings of families and friends for special occasions.
Meanwhile the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) said that a 100 year-old Emirati woman, Sabha Salem Al-Derei, has received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The company congratulated her and said that she is setting “an example for all citizens and residents.”
Elsewhere, Kuwait reported 533 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total in the country to 160,367. The death toll rose to 952 after one additional death was reported in the previous 24 hours.
تعلن #وزارة_الصحة عن تأكيد إصابة 533 حالة، وتسجيل 481 حالة شفاء، و حالة وفاة واحدة جديدة بـ #فيروس_كورونا_المستجدّ COVID-19 ، ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات 160,367 حالة pic.twitter.com/OdYpFkJyai
— وزارة الصحة - الكويت (@KUWAIT_MOH) January 22, 2021
In Bahrain the death toll stands at 366 after no new deaths were reported. The number of confirmed cases in the country increased by 332.
Out of 10318 COVID-19 tests carried out on 22 January 2021, 332 new cases have been detected among 153 expatriate workers, 168 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 11 are travel related. There were 308 recoveries from #COVID19, increasing total recoveries to 95902 pic.twitter.com/zJWqBJmcPn
— وزارة الصحة | مملكة البحرين (@MOH_Bahrain) January 22, 2021
