Another 3,962 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the UAE on Friday, a decrease in the infection rate from the day before. There were 2,975 patients cleared of the virus, taking total recoveries to 269,999. The new cases were identified after 180,930 additional tests were carried out in the past 24 hours. Friday's figures marked the first time since early January that the UAE did not report a record daily number of cases. The latest information from the Ministry of Health and Prevention revealed an additional seven deaths, increasing the death toll to 826. The number of people across the country positive for Covid-19 is 26,189 and the tally of infections since the pandemic began increased to 297,014 after Friday's figures were announced. The Ministry also announced that 137,956 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were given in the past 24 hours. The total number of doses provided to date stands at more than three million. While there has been a surge in cases since the beginning of January, after an influx of winter tourists, the ministry’s vaccination campaign aims to reduce the country’s daily reported cases over the next few months. The goal is to immunise 50 per cent of the population by the end of the first quarter. On Thursday, the UK government added the UAE to its red list and banned all direct flights from the Emirates effective 5pm on Friday. British, Irish and third-country citizens with residence rights in the Emirates can still travel back to the UK and are not banned from entering, but they cannot fly direct from the UAE and will have to enter the UK via another destination. The UK government said the decision was prompted by evidence of the spread of a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa.