The UAE recorded 1,989 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday. It takes the country's total number of infections to 576,947. Another 1,960 people beat the virus, increasing the number of recoveries to 556,549. Three more people died to take the death toll to 1,689. The figures came after 230,728 tests were carried out. Daily cases hit an eight-week high last Friday of 2,236, but they have dropped since. Infections have reduced sharply since reaching about 4,000 a day in January. In the UAE, mass testing and one of the world's fastest vaccination programmes are key to curbing the pandemic. The UAE's vaccine drive has <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/health/uae-covid-19-vaccine-drive-crosses-80-per-cent-threshold-1.1233610">reached more than 80 per cent</a> of the eligible population. At the weekly Covid-19 briefing on Tuesday authorities said the country had crossed a crucial threshold. Officials said "81.93 per cent of the total eligible category – people over 16 – have been vaccinated".