The UAE recorded 1,262 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, raising its total to 157,785. A further 771 patients were given the all-clear as the recovery tally climbed to 148,080. Officials said one patient died during the 24-hour reporting period, pushing the country's death toll to 548. The latest infections were identified following an additional 133,003 tests. The UAE has made mass screening a key part of its efforts to contain the virus. More than 15.6 million tests have been conducted nationwide since the outbreak began. The number of active cases in the Emirates has risen to 9,157. The increase comes amid a trend in recent weeks of new infections exceeding recoveries. Over the past seven days, the UAE has reported 8,650 coronavirus cases, at an average of 1,235 per day. During the same period, 5,519 patients have recovered from the virus, at an average of 788 each day. Daily case figures have remained above 1,000 since October 19, when 915 infections were confirmed. The UAE announced its largest amount of daily cases on October 22, when 1,578 infections were reported. Officials have called on members of the public to act responsibly and abide by Covid-19 safety measures to help drive down cases, particularly with a busy holiday season to close out 2020. Some public events will be held to mark such occasions - such as a National Day concert in Sharjah on December 3 with a permitted crowd of about 2,000 and a New Year's Eve show by Kiss in Dubai - but officials are urging people to ensure they keep safety in mind while celebrating. As of Saturday, more than 58 million Covid-19 cases had been reported across the globe, leading to close to 1.4 million deaths. More than 40 million people have recovered from the virus.
