UAE reports 491 new Coronavirus cases, highest increase since early July

The United Arab Emirates reported 491 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, marking the highest daily increase since early July.

The increase comes after days of rising cases, with 399 new infections detected on Wednesday.

The new cases were detected after authorities conducted 68,043 COVID-19 tests, reported health authorities on Twitter.

With the 491 new cases, the total number of cases in the country is now 68,511.

The vast majority of people infected with the virus have since recovered, with a further 402 patients recovering on Thursday.

There were no new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, meaning the death toll remains at 378.

Authorities warned last week that they could reimpose a lockdown if cases continued to rise.

Asked on Friday if the national sterilization program, which had included a night time curfew, could again be enforced, National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) spokesman Seif al-Zahri told Emirates TV: “Yes, that's possible in certain areas where we observe high infection cases.”

Demand for personal protective equipment has also surged in Dubai as the COVID-19 outbreak shows no sign of stopping.