Coronavirus: UAE announces 557 new cases, 114 recoveries, 6 deaths.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Friday, May 1 announced 557 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the country to 13,038.

MoHAP also announced 114 new recoveries, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,543 as of May 1.

A top Dubai official said on Thursday that the government had eased some restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 after assessing the results, but warned that the danger still persists.

“We have eased some restrictions and allowed people to move around in Dubai. At every stage, we assess the situation and based on the results, we take further steps. We are yet to overcome the danger stage,” said Lt-Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police.

The UAE is slowly easing restrictions put in place to combat Covid-19. The Dubai Metro is now running, restaurants and shops are accepting customers once again, with precautions in place. Even the Gold Souq in Deira, which is among the more populated areas in the emirate, is now open.

Dubai had on Sunday eased the 24-hour movement restrictions in Naif and Al Ras areas after no new cases were recorded in the densely populated areas in two days. More than 6,000 tests were conducted among residents in the areas in less than a month.

Dr Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, had previously said that an increase in the number of cases is expected as the country has ramped up testing. At over a 1.2 million tests, the UAE has the third highest testing density in the world.

In Abu Dhabi, as many as 20,000 employees working in malls have undergone Covid-19 testing ahead of the reopening of shopping malls in the emirate.

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) operated seven Covid-19 drive-thru testing centres round the clock to ensure none of the staff is infected as they return to work.