ABU DHABI — The UAE recorded 716 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 50,857, the ministry of health and prevention said.

The new infections were detected as the authorities conducted over 71,000 COVID-19 tests during the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

Three people who had tested positive for the virus died due to complications, the ministry said. This brings the virus-related death toll in the country to 321.

Meanwhile, the number of recoveries in the UAE rose to 39,857 after 704 people recovered from the coronavirus.

The number of daily reported cases in the country has been rising in the last two days.

On Friday, the ministry announced that the number of new infections rose by nearly 300 cases more than the previous day’s count of 402.

The UAE had also announced on Friday that citizens and residents will now be allowed to travel to international destinations.

Meanwhile, several hospitals in the UAE have been declared COVID-free.

In Dubai at least a dozen hospitals are now COViD- free.

Of the 50,857 cases, 39,857 have recovered which amounts to a recovery rate of 78 percent.

This has helped the government move toward opening up all sectors and limiting COVID-19 treatment to select health care centres, while reopening others as COVID-free health centres.

The procedure to declare them COVID free involves discharging the last of moderate to critical patients in their Intensive Care Units conducting thorough santization and being subject to stringent inspection by Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Once satisfied, the DHA issues the COVID–free certification. — Agencies