The UAE confirmed two coronavirus related deaths Kuwait records 285 cases and 2 deaths, Bahrain reports 238 cases DUBAI: The UAE on Friday recorded 1,856 new coronavirus cases, the highest since October, and two virus-related deaths. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the total number of cases since the pandemic began had reached 209,678. The death toll is 671. It was also announced that 1,577 people had recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours. The total number of recoveries is 186,019. The MoHAP also said it had conducted 145,163 new tests. Cases have risen throughout this week, with “limited numbers” of the new, more-contagious variant of the virus also being detected. The ministry also emphasized its continued work to expand the scope of testing across the country. Meanwhile, in a statement following China’s announcement that it has approved the use of the the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine for general use on the population, Abdul Rahman Al-Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, congratulated the state-owned pharmaceutical company on successfully registering the vaccine in China and said he was delighted that it will be accessible to the UAE. The Emirates was the first country in the world to register the vaccine on Dec. 9, 2020, but it was launched in the UAE back in July. “I am pleased to see that the core results of the two interim results are consistent with high protection rate and robust safety profile and that the vaccine will be readily accessible in the UAE for population vaccination,” Al-Owais added in a statement carried by WAM on Thursday. Al-Owais also said that the UAE will continue to work with partners globally “to advance our collective response to the pandemic.” Elsewhere, Kuwait reported 285 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number to 150,869. The death toll rose to 936 after two coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the previous 24 hours. تعلن #وزارة_الصحة⁩ عن تأكيد إصابة 285 حالة جديدة، وتسجيل 260 حالة شفاء، و 2 حالة وفاة جديدة بـ ⁧#فيروس_كورونا_المستجدّ⁩ COVID-19 ، ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات 150,869 حالة pic.twitter.com/bnj2VUv3pQ — وزارة الصحة - الكويت (@KUWAIT_MOH) January 1, 2021 In Bahrain, zero deaths was reported, keeping the death toll to 352, while 238 new infected cases were confirmed. Out of 7881 COVID-19 tests carried out on 1 January 2021, 238 new cases have been detected among 128 expatriate workers, 103 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 7 are travel related. There were 152 recoveries from #COVID19, increasing total recoveries to 90369 pic.twitter.com/oKVIh4tzPy — وزارة الصحة | مملكة البحرين (@MOH_Bahrain) January 1, 2021