Unprecedented levels of health testing are underway in the UAE, and while that will inevitably confirm more cases of Covid-19, it will also enable health authorities to contain the virus.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced it had completed more than 220,000 laboratory tests for coronavirus.
The latest analysis of global figures had already placed the country sixth on an international league table of population testing, seen as the gold-standard in limiting contagion.
As of March 20, only China, South Korea, Italy, Germany and Russia had tested more than the UAE’s figure of 125,000 completed nasal swabs.
Just nine days later and the number of swabs tests in the community had spiked by 76 per cent, or an extra 95,000 people, to show how testing capacity across the country has been ramped up.
It makes the UAE's testing coverage at more than 22,900 samples per million people; the second highest test density in the world.
Testing is set to continue at an even greater pace as more Department of Health drive-through centres open across the emirates.
The first cars were accepted at the Abu Dhabi hub on Saturday.
Further sites in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Al Ain and Al Dhafra will offer quick tests with the latest medical technology in days.
Each site will have the capacity to test around 600 people a day.
As a result, confirmed cases of coronavirus are also expected to soar - but that means known infected patients can be placed into quarantine and get the required treatment to help limit further spread of the virus.
That in turn, should accelerate the country’s ability to return to some resemblance of normality, although restrictions are likely to be in place for some time.
Global data on how many tests are being done from nation-to-nation can be difficult to collate.
With no centralised World Health Organisation data on Covid-19 testing and most countries not providing official reports on completed sampling, an accurate reflection of the actual numbers tested is unclear.
The WHO does however publish a daily situation report that is updated three times a day.
According to the University of Oxford, vital statistics on those infected, such as demographics, travel dates and keys dates for each patient such as onset of symptoms and quarantine periods are also helping scientists better understand the virus.
Individual data on a global scale has not been openly available in previous disease outbreaks.
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
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PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Second Test
In Dubai
Pakistan 418-5 (declared)
New Zealand 90 and 131-2 (follow on)
Day 3: New Zealand trail by 197 runs with 8 wickets remaining
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US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
