Bulletin: 462 new cases; Covid test must for repatriation

The UAE announced 462 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, pushing the country's total of infections to 15,192. Health officials confirmed a further nine people had died after contracting Covid-19 as the death toll linked to the virus climbed to 146. Another 187 people have beaten the disease, bringing the country's growing tally of recoveries to 3,153.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said a further 28,000 tests for the virus had been conducted during the reporting period.
Health officials have made mass testing a focal point of their campaign to contain the virus.

Well over a million tests have been conducted in the country.

The new recorded cases was a significant drop on the 567 positive tests announced on Monday. As of Tuesday, more than 3.6 million people had contracted Covid-19 across the globe. The worldwide death toll has risen beyond 250,000, while more than 1.2 million people have recovered. Months on from the initial outbreak, governments all over the world are continuing to grapple with the virus.

The widespread suspension of air travel has left tens of thousands of people stranded far from home, while the economic knock-on effect of the virus has impacted livelihoods. As part of ongoing efforts to address difficulties prompted by the pandemic, India is to launch a major air and sea mission to bring thousands of its citizens home from many countries, including the UAE.

 The government said embassies were preparing priority lists ahead of the operation's launch on Thursday, May 7. Officials will draw up a list of "distressed Indian citizens" including tourists stranded overseas and expat workers who have lost their jobs.

 From May 7-14, about 60 commercial flights are set to bring 15,000 citizens from 12 countries home, according to Indian media. Half are expected to be operated from the Gulf.