UAE: First country to conduct more COVID-19 tests than its population
The UAE has become the first country in the world where the number of Covid-19 tests conducted has exceeded its population (among countries with a population of more than one million). The country has conducted 10.32 million tests since the start of the pandemic.
Dr Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesperson for the UAE government, said the country conducted 720,802 medical examinations from September 30 to October 6. “This is an increase of 8 percent as compared to the previous week. The examination revealed an increase of 16 percent in the number of cases as 7,704 cases were recorded.”
At the same time, the UAE reported an increase of 23 percent in the number of recoveries during this period. “This brings the total number of recovered patients to 8,018.”
With 19 residents losing their lives to the virus, the number of deaths increased by 73 percent during the week. “However, the death rate from the total infections in September is one of the lowest in the world,” he added.
The official stressed that volunteers who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are not safe from the risk of infection. The vaccine is still in the trial period – “a period in which we examine all the conditions and factors surrounding the volunteers and the doses they receive”.
“Contrary to what has been circulating, volunteers who have taken doses of the vaccine need to continue to follow precautionary measures in order to preserve their health and the safety of others,” the official said.
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