ABU DHABI 18 March 2020: The UAE Government has ramped up coronavirus testing following the pandemic’s spread.
As of Tuesday, the 17th of March, 127,000 individuals had been tested for coronavirus in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Theses figures, relayed to the Emirates News Agency, indicate the country’s concerted efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus, which has caused 187,000 confirmed cases worldwide.
Considering data on Covid-19 testing per capita, the UAE is now leading global efforts to ensure the mitigation of the pandemic.
When analysing the number of swab tests conducted per capita, the UAE total has exceeded 13,020 tests per one million people.
It is worth noting that not every country reports testing figures using the same metrics. However, these figures shed light on actions taken by global infectious disease and public health communities to contain Covid-19.
When looking at the number of positive cases, the UAE rated 0.8 Covid-19 cases per 1,000 individuals.
UAE health authorities have heeded global calls to mobilise action plans, coordinating with various authorities within the country, and ensuring cross-governmental involvement to control the current pandemic.
WHO Director-General praises UAE
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, has commended the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for the continuous support to the Covid-19 global response.
“Thanks #UAE and @MohamedBinZayed for your continuing support to the #Covid-19 response,” he tweeted, citing the news of the UAE sending aid flight to Iran to support the fight against the virus.
“Solidarity among international communities is of the utmost necessity,” he added.
On Monday, the UAE announced that it sent two aid planes carrying critical medical supplies to Iran to support the latter’s efforts to combat the coronavirus disease.
The two aid aircraft, which took off from Abu Dhabi on Monday, contained over 32 metric tonnes of supplies, including boxes filled with thousands of pairs of gloves, surgical masks, and protective equipment.
