Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

The UAE Government announced on Wednesday that 43,732 additional COVID-19 tests had been conducted, resulting in the detection of 941 new cases, bringing to 26,004 the total numbers of infections in the country. This includes those receiving treatment, recovered cases, and deaths.

The announcement was made during the regular media briefing held in Abu Dhabi, where Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, official spokesperson for the UAE Government, Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, Spokesman of the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE health sector, and Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, official spokesman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, gave an update on the national precautionary measures.

During the press briefing, Dr. Amna stated that 1,018 patients had fully recovered from COVID-19 after receiving the necessary healthcare, bringing to 11,809 the total number of recoveries in the country.

Dr. Amna also announced the death of 6 patients of different nationalities, bringing to 233 the total number of deaths. The number of COVID-19 cases still receiving treatment now stands at 13,962 from different nationalities, she added.

Nevertheless, Al Dhahri underlined the necessity for the public to avoid gatherings and abide by social distancing rules, particularly that there are legal measures and penalties against offenders.

Dr Farida Al Hosani, said the UAE is now among the top countries in terms of COVID-19 screenings per capita.

"We are proud of our leadership who have provided free tests to all UAE citizens, residents and other segments of society who are most susceptible to infections."

She elaborated on the ALHOSN UAE app for smart phones and devices, which can be downloaded on Android and IOS devices for free.

This is a national initiative aimed at supporting the Government’s efforts to contain the pandemic. The easy to use app combines the benefits of STAY HOME and TRACE COVID, the two apps previously launched by the Department of Health. It guarantees high degree of privacy protection to the users through artificial intelligence and other technological tools."

"However", she added, "the success of this app hinges on the level of usage by our people and how many are using it; which means that its objective won’t be achieved unless 50-70 percent of the UAE population would download and use it in an effective way."