Highly vaccinated UAE reports most virus cases in months

Emirati health authorities announced they’d detected the first Omicron case in the country earlier this month.

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday recorded its highest daily virus caseload in months, a spike that comes as the Omicron variant races across the globe and the Mideast tourist hub prepares to welcome hordes of tourists for the holidays.

The UAE reported 452 infections in the past 24 hours, including two deaths - an increase not seen in the highly vaccinated Gulf Arab state since mid-September. Infections had plummeted to record lows, around 50 a day, just over a week ago, contributing to a sense in the freewheeling entrepot of Dubai that the worst of the pandemic was over and life could return to normal.

A nationwide mask mandate remains in place outdoors, but Dubai’s bars and restaurants have been teeming with mask-less revelers. Most luxury hotels report that they’re booked through the December holidays. Each year, giant New Year’s Eve celebrations in the city draw thousands of tourists and social media influencers fleeing wintry weather in Europe.