The United Arab Emirates yesterday reported 378 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 45,303 in the country.

According to the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, 631 new recoveries were also reported, raising the total number to 33,406. The authority also announced one death, which brought the total deaths to 303 in the country. The total number of active cases in the country is now 11,954.

In a statement, the Dubai Government said, as part of relentless efforts to contain the pandemic, authorities are continuing to increase the provision of testing across hospitals and centers.

Saudi Arabia recorded 3,393 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number to 1,61,005, including 54,523 active cases. According to the Health Ministry, as many as 4,045 patients recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,05,175. Forty new deaths were also reported, bringing the death toll to 1,307

Recently,the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that it has conducted more than 48,000 additional COVID-19 tests.In a statement, the Ministry highlighted its aim to expand the scope of testing nationwide, to facilitate the early detection of COVID-19 cases and carry out the necessary treatment.

The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and wished current COVID-19 patients a speedy and full recovery.

MoHAP also noted an additional 661 individuals have fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 32,415.

Meanwhile, schools in the UAE are looking to create micro-groups of pupils who will arrive at different times and stay in their own zones for the next academic year.

On-campus learning had been suspended across all educational institutions in the UAE in March as a precautionary measure against the spread of Covid-19. Education went online as schools and colleges implemented e-learning. Various private school groups in Dubai have expressed their intention to re-open school campuses in different stages following the summer break, reports Khaleej Times.

"We have been closely observing and communicating with schools that have opened prior to the summer in Scandinavia, the Far East and Europe and learning from their best practices. The shared, extensive knowledge gained from our international colleagues means that our schools will have a tremendous advantage derived from their collective experiences," said Alan Williamson, CEO at Taleem.

Schools are working with the authorities, education regulators, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi (Adek) to find the best way to apparently bring back students on August 30 for the 2020-21 academic year.

"Clear guidelines have been developed that will be strictly implemented once the 'green light' is given to fully open our schools. The guidelines will be tailored by each school as their circumstances will differ depending on the curriculum, staffing, student numbers, building layout, capacity, and other factors. Taaleem is also planning 'a back to school campaign'. This will be communicated over the summer period to prepare parents, students, and staff for a safe return to their school," said Williamson.

Story  Input; UAE Schools; Khaleej Times