The UAE reported 1,260 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, the third-lowest daily tally this year, health officials said.
The lowest cases in 2021 so far were reported on May 17, when 1,229 people were infected, followed by 1,251 infections on May 16.
The number of new daily infections have dropped consistently this week and have stayed below 1,300 for two consecutive days.
Total infections now stand at 698,166.
There were 1,404 recoveries during the past 24 hours and the total number of patients who beat the virus is 675,566
So far, more than 68.7 million PCR tests have been carried out across the Emirates after an additional 321,439 tests were conducted over the 24-hour reporting period.
This is the highest number of tests carried out in one day since the beginning of the pandemic.
Officials reported four deaths overnight, pushing total fatalities to 1,992.
Health officials said more than 17 million doses of vaccines have been given to eligible people.
On Wednesday, authorities said 81.33 per cent of the UAE population had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, while 72.59 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
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Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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