The UAE on Friday announced that daily coronavirus cases rose to the highest mark since early March as the country prepares for a series of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Dubai is set to celebrate New Year’s Eve with 36 fireworks displays at 29 locations alongside world-class entertainment as part of the Dubai Destinations initiative which was launched earlier this month.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said 2,426 new coronavirus cases have been detected in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 761,937.
This is the highest number since March 8 when the country reported 2,483 cases.
According to the ministry, there were also two further deaths due to Covid-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 2,164.
MoHAP also noted that an additional 875 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 745,055.
The latest figures come less than a month after the UAE announced it had discovered its first case of the highly transmittable Omicrom variant of the virus.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Thursday assured Emiratis and residents that the health sector is fully geared and prepared to address any challenges associated with the new coronavirus wave.
Speaking during a meeting at Qasr Al Bahr Majlis, Sheikh Mohamed said that the emerging Covid variant omicron will take some time, but will disappear as was the case with previous strains.
On Friday, authorities in Dubai reminded revellers that the failure to wear a face mask during New Year’s Eve celebrations will result in a fine of AED3,000 ($817).
Comprehensive precautionary measures will be “stringently enforced” at all events and activities, according to a statement carried on the Twitter feed of Dubai Media Office.
Earlier this week, organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai warned that some venues might need to close temporarily as the mega event ramps up measures to protect visitors from the recent rise in coronavirus cases.
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