UAE opens field hospitals as new Covid-19 cases decrease

▶ Extra wards increase capacity as active cases fall below 8,000 for first time in three months

The UAE has opened field hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients, with a total of seven planned.

Authorities announced the plans yesterday, with health sector spokeswoman Dr Farida Al Hosani saying increased capacity was part of the next phase of the country’s coronavirus prevention strategy.

During the regular Covid-19 briefing, Dr Al Hosani credited the recent decrease in the number of new cases to safety precautions and their enforcement.

She said the vaccination drive also contributed, with the almost 5.7 million doses administered to date equivalent to 57.31 doses for every 100 people. Of these, 3.48 million were administered to residents, and least 57 per cent of people over 60 received a dose.

The aim, she said, was to reach herd immunity. “Herd immunity is considered one of the stages of indirect protection from communicable diseases and requires a large amount of the community to be immunised,” Dr Al Hosani said.

“When the majority of the population becomes immune to an infectious disease, indirect protection for people in the community who are not immune to this disease will be provided due to the limited spread of the disease.”

Yesterday, the UAE reported its lowest daily death toll for more than a month, and active cases fell below 8,000 for the first time since November.

Authorities reported 3,005 new infections, bringing the total to 375,535. Another 3,515 patients were cleared of the virus, raising the recovery tally to 366,567.

Five people died, increasing the toll to 1,145. The number of active cases dropped to 7,823 after recoveries exceeded new infections for the 13th consecutive day.

Active cases are at their lowest level in three months.

The latest cases were detected after 175,284 more PCR and DPI tests were conducted. More than 29.6 million tests have been carried out.

Seven field hospitals will be set up to treat Covid-19 patients in the UAE.

Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE health sector, yesterday said some of the field hospitals had already opened.

She credited the drop in daily case numbers over the past fortnight to the safety precautions put in place across the country.

“These are good indicators that show an improvement in the UAE’s fight against Covid-19,” Dr Al Hosani said. “We hope cases will continue to go down.”

She said the nationwide vaccination drive had also contributed to the decrease in cases, with almost 5.7 million doses administered to date, which is the equivalent of 57.31 doses for every 100 people.

Of those doses, 3.48 million have been administered to residents, which is 44.89 per cent of the target. At least 57 per cent of people aged over 60 have received a dose of the vaccine.

The aim, said Dr Al Hosani, was to reach herd immunity to protect people who are not naturally immune or who are unable to take the vaccine.

“Herd immunity is considered one of the stages of indirect protection from communicable diseases and requires a large amount of the community to be immunised,” she said.

She assured the public that the vaccines available in the country were completely safe for use by everyone, including the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.

“We call on all to get vaccinated because it is the safest way to recovery,” she said.

Ismail Al Blooshi, of the UAE’s civil aviation authority, also spoke at the country’s regular briefing yesterday.

He said protocols put in place since the start of the pandemic allowed for the gradual operation of the aviation sector while still ensuring the safety of passengers.

“From repatriation flights to cargo shipments, the UAE has worked hand in hand with the international community to combat this pandemic,” he said.

PCR testing before flights and on arrival are required across the country.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 2.7 million tests have been conducted on passengers arriving in the UAE, with 0.7 per cent testing positive.

Mr Al Blooshi said the national carriers had flown more than 38 million passengers to 140 destinations during the pandemic.

More than 70 per cent of front-line aviation staff have been vaccinated as part of increased safety measures.

He said ongoing assessment determined which countries people were able to safely travel to and from.

“This approach has allowed us to reopen our airlines and flights, since the aviation sector is vital to our society and economy,” he said.

The UAE yesterday reported its lowest daily death toll for more than a month as the number of active cases fell below 8,000 for the first time since November.

A further 3,005 infections were confirmed, bringing the total to 375,535.

An additional 3,515 patients were given the all-clear, as the recovery tally climbed to 366,567.

Five people died, raising the number of fatalities across the Emirates to 1,145.

It was the smallest rise in the number of deaths of Covid-19 patients since January 21, when four people died.

The number of active cases dropped to 7,823 after recoveries exceeded new infections for the 13th consecutive day.

The latest cases were detected as a result of 175,284 more tests.

More than 29.6 million tests have been conducted since the start of the pandemic.