The number of coronavirus tests done in the UAE exceeded 500,000. This was announced on April 8 by the UAE government.

This statement was made by the Ministry of Health during a regular briefing, attended by Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, and Dr. Farida Al Hosani, UAE Health Spokesman. This briefing highlighted the latest developments related to COVID-19 in the country, as well as measures taken by the emirate authorities to combat the spread of the pandemic.

The Minister of Health expressed deep gratitude to the doctors, nurses and health workers who protect the state from the virus and fight for the lives of people.

“The safety and well-being of all is a priority for us. This is a common national responsibility, ”he added.

The Minister noted that in this difficult period for the whole world, the inhabitants of the UAE showed exceptional cohesion and awareness in observing the measures to combat the spread of the virus that the government took.

“The UAE will continue to take measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. The main priority of the health sector was to conduct as many tests as possible, which led to the early detection of infected cases by tracking contacts and isolating them, ”he said.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani announced the discovery of 300 new cases of coronavirus among different nationalities, as a result of which the number of infections in the country reached 2659 people.

The UAE government has also announced the complete recovery of another 53 patients after receiving the necessary medical care, increasing the total number of patients who have recovered to 239 so far.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani explained that new cases were discovered in people who had contact with previously infected patients and did not adhere to the recommended measures and protocols for their own safety. Another group that has recently been diagnosed with the virus were people who came to the country from traveling abroad.

During the briefing, the latest developments in the labor market were discussed. The Acting Deputy Minister of Communications and International Affairs of the Ministry of Human Resources and the Emirate Abdullah Ali Al Nuaimi said the labor market is one of the sectors directly affected by the spread of coronavirus.

Al Nuaimi also noted that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emigration has launched a National Labor Market Stabilization Program to ensure business continuity in the private sector in light of a number of federal precautions to contain the spread of COVID-19.

This program includes economic support measures for employers and private sector workers to reduce the impact of precautionary measures on the national economy. It also includes a set of measures to protect private sector workers from COVID-19.

“The program, prepared by the ministry in coordination with the National Office for Emergency Situations and Emergencies, has three main elements: labor, emigration and administrative support for private sector companies,” he explained.

Regarding employee protection, Al Nuami said private sector companies were encouraged to reduce the number of employees in the workplace, in the service and transportation centers.

“The number of clients in service centers should not exceed 30 percent of the total capacity, and preventive health measures should be applied,” he added.

Employers should also prohibit the holding of meetings and cultural, social and sporting events in the places of residence of workers, while minimizing the number of workers present during meals and leaving at least two meters between every two workers.

The ministry has issued interim guidance governing remote work in private institutions in such emergencies. According to this order, the obligations of the employer include the provision of the necessary technical means for the remote execution of work using smart platforms.

Also, the ministry created a special committee to consider complaints from citizens working in the private sector and to review their cases in coordination with the relevant federal and local authorities.

WAM