UAE COVID-19 pandemic toll climbs to 520 as 1,214 new cases confirmed

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of cases since the pandemic began has reached 145,599, with the death toll now 520. (File/Reuters)
Short Url
Updated 12 November 2020
Follow

UAE COVID-19 pandemic toll climbs to 520 as 1,214 new cases confirmed

  • UAE says 741 patients have recovered in past 24 hours
  • Kuwait records 778 cases and 5 deaths

DUBAI: The UAE on Wednesday recorded 1,214 new coronavirus cases and two deaths.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of cases since the pandemic began has reached 145,599, with the death toll now 520.
The ministry added that 741 people recovered over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 140,442.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health conducted a study of 1,038 people infected with COVID-19 who follow a healthy diet.
The study showed that there is a strong correlation between the individual’s lifestyle and the number of days they spend in hospital for treatment of symptoms associated with the virus.
Patients who follow a healthy diet spend less time in hospital compared with those who do not, the study found. 
“A healthy diet is important during the COVID-19 pandemic, because what the body consumes can affect its ability to fight and recover from diseases,” the department said in a statement on WAM.
Sumaya Al-Ameri, of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, said: “The study confirmed that adopting a healthy lifestyle contributes to strengthening the body’s immunity against diseases in general and against the symptoms associated with infection with the COVID-19 virus in particular.”
Al-Ameri said proper exercise, adequate sleep and avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking are also important.
Abu Dhabi’s Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Committee said the emirate continues to maintain a low percentage of confirmed coronavirus cases compared with the total number of tests conducted, due to its national screening program and other testing initiatives.

“The percentage of confirmed cases per total tests conducted in the emirate over the past three months remained low at 0.39 percent,” it added.
Meanwhile, Dubai Economy issued a fine to an electronic trading establishment for breaching anti-COVID-19 measures during daily inspection tours.
Elsewhere, Kuwait recorded 778 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 134,159. The death toll reached 826 after five new fatalities were registered.

Oman’s health ministry confirmed 302 new cases and five deaths, bringing the total to 119,186 and 1,321, respectively.

In Bahrain, one death was reported, bringing the death toll to 332, while 231 new infected cases were confirmed.


UN warns 200,000 more Afghan children face acute malnutrition in 2026

Updated 16 sec ago
Follow

UN warns 200,000 more Afghan children face acute malnutrition in 2026

  • “The ⁠onus is on ⁠the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it,” Shamdasani said
  • “The ⁠essence of the destruction, despair and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict“

GENEVA: The UN human rights office on Tuesday urged what it called the forces behind a deadly attack on a girls’ school in Iran to investigate and share insights into the incident, without saying who it believed was responsible.
“The High Commissioner (Volker Turk) calls for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the attack. The ⁠onus is on ⁠the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it,” UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a Geneva press briefing.
“This is absolutely horrific,” Shamdasani said, adding that images circulating on social media captured “the ⁠essence of the destruction, despair and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict.”
Turk also urged all parties to exercise restraint and to return to the negotiating table, she said. The school in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks against the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that US forces “would not deliberately ⁠target ⁠a school.” Israel has said it is investigating the incident.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ali Bahreini had previously raised the issue with Turk in a letter dated March 1, calling the attack “unjustifiable” and “criminal.”
He said the attack had killed 150 students.
Turk’s office does not have enough information to make a determination as to whether the strike constituted a war crime, Shamdasani said.