UAE tops 5-million test mark

Country’s patient recovery rate put at 90%; no new deaths for third day in a row

More than 5 million tests for Covid-19 were conducted across the UAE since the outbreak began, Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, announced yesterday.

The minister also said that the country’s patient recovery rate was 90 per cent, which is among the highest in the world. He said quick diagnosis and supportive care were leading to recovery of patients. The Ministry of Health and Prevention confirmed 164 new cases and 248 recoveries. No patient died for the third consecutive day.

Dr Omar Al Hammadi, Government’s official spokesperson, reiterated the importance of wearing face masks to limit the spread of the virus. He said masks are not recommended for children under the age of two with breathing issues.

No ‘silver bullet’, focus on doing known basics: WHO

In Geneva, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that there might never be a “silver bullet” for the new coronavirus, despite the rush to discover effective vaccines.

The WHO urged governments and citizens to focus on doing the known basics, such as testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask in order to suppress the pandemic, which has upended normal life around the globe and triggered a devastating economic crisis.

“We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be.

“For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control. “Do it all,” he urged.