Another 2,876 cases of Covid-19 were reported across the UAE on Sunday, during which the largest number of tests were conducted. The new cases took the tally of infections to 230,578. Sunday was the fourth consecutive day that new infections were higher than 2,800. The number of recoveries reached 206,114 on Sunday, after another 2,454 people were cleared of the virus. About 89 per cent of all cases reported in the UAE to date have ended in recovery. Active cases now stand at 23,756 – up by about 400 from Saturday. And the death of another six Covid-19 patients took overall mortalities to 708. Health officials conducted another 171,951 PCR nasal swab and DPI blood tests during the past 24 hours as the tally of screenings crossed 22.4 million. The rise in daily Covid-19 cases is thought to be linked to the sharp increase in the number of residents returning to work from the winter break. Mandatory, regular testing is already in place for many professionals, including staff in service industries such as hotels, restaurants and retail stores, along with transport workers, school teachers and frontline medical personnel. Meanwhile, a campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated is under way. More than a million shots have been administered since the UAE approved use of the Sinopharm vaccine. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said 66,219 doses were administered over the past 24 hours. Authorities, who publish figures based on the number of shots taken, said 1,086,568 had been given so far across the nation. The distribution rate is now 10.99 doses for every 100 people, the second highest on a global chart after Israel. Two doses, taken 28 days apart, are required for the two vaccines approved use in the Emirates, those developed by Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech. Priority is being given to the elderly and people with chronic diseases. The UAE has also agreed with Sinopharm to make its vaccine locally, in addition to securing millions of readily available shots for the population. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, became the latest top UAE official to be vaccinated on Sunday. State news agency Wam said Sheikh Saud took the vaccine to support national efforts to curb the virus. Other rulers such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, have also taken the vaccine. The Sinopharm vaccine is available at all private and government health clinics, while the Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation can be administered in seven clinics in Dubai. Al Safa Primary Healthcare Centre, near Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai, was added to the list on Saturday to accommodate the “notable turnout” for inoculation campaign, officials said. Officials hope to vaccinate 70 per cent of the emirate's population by later this year as part of efforts to achieve 'herd immunity'. The UAE plans to vaccinate 50 per cent of the population by the end of the first quarter.