UAE on track to normalcy, new cases drop below 100
The UAE on Sunday recorded a drop in daily COVID-19 cases to below 100 for the first time since the start of the outbreak last year.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) reported 99 new cases, down from a peak of nearly 4,000 a day in January.
The Ministry announced that it conducted 317,254 additional COVID-19 tests and detected 99 new coronavirus cases.
MOHAP also announced two deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 2,120.
The Ministry also noted that an additional 153 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 732,296.
The regional tourism and business hub has one of the world’s highest immunisation rates.
Around 96% of its population have received one vaccine dose, while some 86% are fully vaccinated, according to latest official data.
The Ministry also announced that 15,616 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours.
The total number of doses provided up to Sunday stands at 20,701,898 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 209.31 doses per 100 people.
The Grand Mosque in Makkah in Saudi Arabia operated at full capacity on Sunday, with worshippers praying shoulder-to-shoulder for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Workers removed floor markings that guide people to social distance in and around the Grand Mosque, which is built around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.
“This is in line with the decision to ease precautionary measures and to allow pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque at full capacity,” reported the official Saudi Press Agency.
Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed people praying side by side, making straight rows of worshippers that are formations revered in performing Muslim prayers, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last year.
While social distancing measures were lited, the authorities said visitors must be fully vaccinated against coronavirus and must continue to wear masks on mosque grounds.
Also, the Kaaba remained cordoned off and out of reach.
Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation said it has started operating airports at full capacity for international and domestic flights.
Saudi Arabia’s sports fans will be also allowed to atend full-capacity events at all stadiums and other sports facilities starting on Sunday, the country’s ministry of sports announced in a statement on Saturday.
Stadiums and other sports facilities will limit entry to fans who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the kingdom, the ministry said.
Russia on Sunday reported a new record for coronavirus infections for a fourth day in a row, a day ater the worst-affected country in Europe set a new death toll high.
There were 34,303 new infections and 997 deaths registered in the country over 24 hours, according to the official toll.
On Saturday, Russia recorded 1,002 deaths -- the first time daily deaths hit the one thousand mark -- and 33,208 new infections.
The climbing COVID-19 statistics come as the nation’s vaccination drive is at a standstill and with few restrictions in place.
The Kremlin, which says authorities have to ensure “the economy continues working,” has avoided re-introducing major measures despite calling the vaccination rate unacceptably low.
India recorded 14,146 new cases of Covid-19 during the past 24 hours pushing the country’s infection caseload to 3,40,67,719, even as the number of vaccinated people went past 97 crores, the Union Health Ministry said in an update on Sunday.
With 144 more fatalities, the death toll reached 4,52,124.
The United States has administered 407,446,961 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Saturday morning and distributed 494,918,755 doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Thee figures are up from the 406,570,875 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Oct. 15 out of 493,139,295 doses delivered.
The agency said 218,562,924 people had received at least one dose while 188,902,483 people were fully vaccinated as of 6 a.m. ET Saturday.
Grand Mosque in Makkah drops social distancing; Saudi Arabia starts operating airports at full capacity; record surge in Russia infections; India sees over 14,000 new cases.