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UAE reports record COVID-19 cases for 4 consecutive days

January 3, 2021 at 2:54 pm

An aerial view of the Burj al-Arab hotel in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, UAE on July 8, 2020 [KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images]

The United Arab Emirates has recorded its fourth straight record number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, reporting 1,963 cases on Saturday according to a report by Reuters.

The new cases recorded in the last 24 hours brings the Gulf country’s total recorded cases to 211,641. The UAE also reported three new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 to 674.

The UAE reported 1,856 new cases on new year’s day and more than 1,700 on December 30 and 31.

Saudi Arabia, which has the highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases among the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, reported 137 new cases on January 1. It has recorded 362,878 cases in total.

In November, US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech were the first to announce that they had developed a vaccine for COVID-19 which is said to be 90 per cent effective in preventing the virus in its first interim efficacy analysis. The vaccine has already gained emergency approvals in several countries.

In December, the highest religious authority in the UAE, the Fatwa Council has issued a ruling permitting coronavirus vaccines for Muslims even if they contain pork gelatine.

The fatwa comes amid growing concerns among many Muslims for whom consuming pork products is haram (forbidden) that the COVID-19 vaccine contains pork gelatine, a common vaccine ingredient which acts as a stabiliser to ensure the vaccines remain effective during storage and transportation.

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