ABU DHABI, 13th May, 2020 (WAM) — The UAE Government announced that an additional 511 patients had recovered from COVID-19 after receiving the necessary medical care, raising the total number of recoveries to 6,523.

This was revealed during the regular media briefing held today in Abu Dhabi by Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, official spokesperson of the UAE Government, and Brigadier Khamis Al Kaabi, official spokesman for the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, who spoke about the entity’s latest announcements.

Dr. Al Shamsi underscored plans to further enlarge the scope of testing, noting that health authorities have performed 1,560,923 tests to date. After conducting an additional 34,869 tests, 725 new infections were identified among various nationalities, with the total number of cases amounting to 20,386, including those receiving treatment, recovered cases, and deaths.

Al Shamsi also said that efforts by frontline defenders continue as part of the nationwide expansion of testing. The ratio of recorded cases to total tests to date has been estimated at 1.3 percent.

Al Shamsi affirmed that this ratio and the sheer number of tests conducted affirm the efficiency and strength of the country’s healthcare system and highlight the efforts of frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, administrative staff, and volunteers, who are working around the clock to ensure the continuity of testing and thereby limit the spread of the virus.

Three deaths were announced from different nationalities, bringing the number of deaths registered in the country to 206.

Al Shamsi offered her sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant patience and solace to their families.

The number of COVID-19 cases still receiving treatment now stands at 13,657 from different nationalities.

Al Shamsi stated that under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, free testing for UAE citizens would begin next week under the framework of the country’s preventative measures to counter COVID-19.

Al Shamsi also highlighted His Highness’ directives to offer free testing around the country to various groups, including service workers in the homes of UAE citizens, such as drivers, caretakers, and other support workers, as well as people of determination, pregnant women, residents over 50 years old, individuals with coronavirus symptoms, and the close contacts of coronavirus patients.

Al Shamsi said that the relevant health authorities would determine procedures for testing and their locations for individuals and target groups and would announce them through official channels while appealing to all members of the public to cooperate with health authorities to ensure the testing programme’s success.

In a message to the community, she said, “We are at an important stage in dealing with the virus, and containing it requires everyone to take responsibility by committing to eliminate it. Complacency will cause more infections and prolong the spread of the virus. Therefore, care must be taken to adopt precautionary measures, such as physical distancing, avoiding gatherings, and wearing face masks.”

For his part, Brigadier Khamis Al Kaabi reviewed recent developments in the identity and nationality sector.

Al Kaabi said that based on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Cabinet issued a decree to exempt violators of the law on entry and residency for foreigners from all incurred fines if their violations occurred before March 1, 2020, whether they hold entry permits and visas or were residents when they took the initiative to leave the country during the specific period granted and extended to May 18th for three months.

Al Kaabi added that the decision includes exemption from all fines related to ID cards and expired work permits incurred by beneficiaries.

Al Kaabi also stated that the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa included in the UAE Cabinet’s decision would not prevent beneficiaries from returning to the country in the future, provided they meet the requirements and take advantage of the departure period.

Al Kaabi further said that the Authority would announce details of all application procedures and urges all groups covered by the decision to take advantage of the opportunity before the deadline in order to avoid legal recourse and be prevented from entering the country in the future.

Separately, Al Kaabi expressed his appreciation for the feedback of users of the Authority’s services, noting that since the Authority began encouraging the public to use its smart services, 1.5 million transactions have been completed.

He also urged the community to continue using the Authority’s smart services platform as their main channel to complete transactions.