DUBAI: The UAE on Tuesday recorded 1,096 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of cases since the pandemic began has reached 144,385, with the death toll at 518.
The ministry added that 742 people recovered over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 139,701.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said that the Emirati leadership has taken effective steps to confront the coronavirus pandemic to protect public health and at the same time mitigate the negative effects on the economy.
He said that the UAE has provided medical supplies to 118 countries, benefiting more than 1.5 million health workers around the world.
“The UAE insisted that wider political considerations should not be taken into account when providing humanitarian assistance, and that is why the Emirates did not hesitate to provide aid to Iran when it needed it,” he said at the 7th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, organized virtually by the Emirates Policy Center as the UAE nears the 50th anniversary of its independence.
Spokesperson for the National Committee for Management and Governance of the Recovery Phase of the COVID-19 Crisis, Saif Al-Dhaheri, said many sectors have been affected by the pandemic, especially health care, economy, tourism, sports, education, aviation and transportation. 
But “the proactive and forward-looking thinking of the UAE government has enabled it to contain the situation and accelerate the process of a safe, gradual return to the new normal life,” he said during a media briefing on the developments of the health situation in the country.
The briefing’s spokesperson Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi said from Nov. 4 to 10 “the total number of deaths reached 15, a decrease of 29 percent, leaving the death rate at 0.4 percent, which is one of the lowest rates in the world compared to the EU which is 2.4 percent, the MENA region at 2.5%, and the the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at 2.8%.”
Meanwhile, Dubai Economy launched the ‘Smart Inspection’ project, an initiative that helps mitigate the repercussions of the pandemic.
Director Sami Al-Qamzi said the authority is “committed to supporting the emirate’s digital transformation and accelerating the adoption of smart measures to improve the quality of services provided to the community.”

Etihad Engineering launches an in-house production lab to cater to the continuous demand for face masks in the aviation industry.

The masks are produced using the finest material which provide up to 98% bacterial filtration efficiency for a high level of protection and safety. pic.twitter.com/jsibg1YABy

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) November 10, 2020

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways announced that it has launched an in-house production facility to produce face masks for the aviation industry to meet the rise in demand and has already accepted an order for 1.3 million masks to be manufactured.
“Over the next three months, the medical face masks will be distributed to staff across the entire Etihad Aviation Group from cabin and ground crew, to catering, cargo, engineering employees, and medical professionals,” the carrier said in a statement on its website.
Elsewhere, Kuwait recorded 903 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 133,381. The death toll reached 821 after five new fatalities were registered.

تعلن #وزارة_الصحة⁩ عن تأكيد إصابة 903 حالة جديدة، وتسجيل 842 حالة شفاء، و 5 حالات وفاة جديدة بـ ⁧#فيروس_كورونا_المستجدّ⁩ COVID-19 ، ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات 133,381 حالة pic.twitter.com/2h5se8giy1

— وزارة الصحة – الكويت (@KUWAIT_MOH) November 10, 2020

Oman’s health ministry confirmed 381 new cases and six deaths, bringing the total to 118,884 and 1,316 respectively.

#Statemant No. 223
November 10, 2020 pic.twitter.com/JRRszB6dxy

— وزارة الصحة – عُمان (@OmaniMOH) November 10, 2020

In Bahrain, two deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 331, while 179 new infected cases were confirmed.

Out of 10355 COVID-19 tests carried out on 10 November 2020, 179 new cases have been detected among 69 expatriate workers, 102 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 8 are travel related. There were 189 recoveries from #COVID19, increasing total recoveries to 81414 pic.twitter.com/mRDGCK1Eaz

— وزارة الصحة | مملكة البحرين (@MOH_Bahrain) November 10, 2020

TEHRAN: Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has tested positive for Covid-19 only days after being released from prison, her husband said on Tuesday.
“Nasrin tested positive today,” Reza Khandan wrote in a brief post on his Facebook account.
“Last Wednesday, during (a) meeting I had with Nasrin at Qarchak prison, she said that the coronavirus had spread in her ward and many (inmates) had become sick.
“That’s why she was in a rush to follow up on her furlough process,” he added.
Sotoudeh, 57 and a winner of the European Parliament’s Sakharov prize, was released from jail on Saturday after being granted a temporary leave of absence.
The lawyer and activist was jailed in 2018 after defending a woman arrested for protesting against the requirement for Iranian women to wear the hijab.
She was told at the time that she had been sentenced to five years in prison in absentia for spying, according to her lawyers.
In 2019, she was sentenced again to 12 years in prison “for encouraging corruption and debauchery.”
According to her husband, Sotoudeh’s health deteriorated badly behind bars, where she had to end in September a 45-day hunger strike that she had launched to seek the release of prisoners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Iran is the Middle East country hardest hit by the pandemic.
Since March, more than 100,000 inmates have been granted temporary release to limit the spread of the disease in prisons.

DUBAI: The UAE on Monday recorded 1,146 new COVID-19 cases and one death.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of cases since the pandemic began reached 143,289, with the death toll standing at 515.
The ministry added that 515 people recovered from the virus over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 138,959.
The Dubai Health Authority, in cooperation with Dubai Police, announced that those who are not able to wear a face mask for health reasons must submit an application accompanied by a medical report.
The medical report should detail the health problems the applicant may be exposed to by wearing a mask, the authority said.
The authority’s medical committee will consider the request and the reasons according to specific conditions and controls. If approved, its validity will be permanent.

. @DHA_Dubai, in partnership with @DubaiPoliceHQ announced that residents with certain medical conditions can now apply for permits for exemption from wearing face masks through https://t.co/JVJ9AqH8xj.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 9, 2020

Requests can be made through the Dubai Police website.
Health reason exemptions include patients who suffer from fungal dermatitis, severe itching, scaling or bleeding of the skin, hives, herpes and other dermatological conditions.
It also exempts people who suffer from chronic sinus infections, acute suffocation and asthma.
The authority said that the decision took into account the health risks it may impose on others. It called on those who obtain a permit to commit to wearing a mask as much as possible, especially in public places.
Dubai Municipality closed five businesses and issued nine fines and 41 warnings to other commercial establishments for not adhering to anti-coronavirus measures.

#DubaiMunicipality closed 4 shisha cafes and 1 salon for failing to comply with the precautionary measures, violated 9 institutions, and issued 41 warnings against others. The number of institutions meeting the requirements reached 2,276 during 2,331 visits carried out on Nov 8. pic.twitter.com/tNYSNCU6wt

— بلدية دبي | Dubai Municipality (@DMunicipality) November 9, 2020

Inspection teams shut down four shisha cafes in International City and one salon in a residential area.
Elsewhere, Kuwait recorded 735 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 132,478. The death toll reached 816 after five new fatalities were registered.

تعلن #وزارة_الصحة⁩ عن تأكيد إصابة 735 حالة جديدة، وتسجيل 738 حالة شفاء، و 5 حالات وفاة جديدة بـ ⁧#فيروس_كورونا_المستجدّ⁩ COVID-19 ، ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات 132,478 حالة pic.twitter.com/gJwmacNOaT

— وزارة الصحة – الكويت (@KUWAIT_MOH) November 9, 2020

Oman’s health ministry confirmed 363 new cases and nine deaths, bringing the total to 118,503 and the death toll to 1,310 in the country.

#Statement No. 222
November 9. 2020 pic.twitter.com/g2RRyJvoi9

— وزارة الصحة – عُمان (@OmaniMOH) November 9, 2020

In Bahrain, 176 new infected cases were confirmed, and the death toll stands at 329 after no deaths were reported for two consecutive days.

Out of 10299 COVID-19 tests carried out on 9 November 2020, 176 new cases have been detected among 44 expatriate workers, 115 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 17 are travel related. There were 225 recoveries from #COVID19, increasing total recoveries to 81225 pic.twitter.com/YnLZxbUkMi

— وزارة الصحة | مملكة البحرين (@MOH_Bahrain) November 9, 2020

GAMMARTH, TUNISIA: Rival Libyan factions met Monday for UN-led talks aimed at bringing a lasting peace to their war-torn North African country and preparing for elections.
The meeting in neighboring Tunisia follows months of relative calm and a key cease-fire deal in October between the two major camps in the long-running conflict.
“You have the opportunity to end a tragic conflict,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told delegates in a video message at the opening ceremony.
“Now it’s your turn to shape the future of your country.”
Libya has seen a decade of violence since the 2011 toppling of Muammar Qaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising, with a complex web of regional conflicts exacerbated by foreign intervention.
But October’s cease-fire agreement has allowed for vital oil production to resume and for progress on efforts to end years of political deadlock.
This week’s talks in Gammarth, near the Tunisian capital Tunis, aim to unify the country under a single executive and pave the way for national elections.
The 75 Libyan delegates, selected by the UN, have given up the right to play a role in the resulting political body. As well as preparing for national polls, the interim executive will face the daunting challenges of providing basic services in a country wracked by economic woes and the coronavirus pandemic.
Libya is dominated by two rival administrations: The Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, which resulted from previous UN-backed talks in 2015 and a rival administration in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Peter Millett, a former British ambassador to Libya, warned on the first day of talks that “if potential spoilers like Haftar and the militias don’t see themselves benefitting, hostilities could break out again.”
“The most important thing is a timeline for elections,” he said.
“It needs to be short, maximum nine months, with key milestones for implementing and a clear message from the international community that they will impose sanctions on anyone who obstructs it.”
Guterres urged world powers to support peace efforts and to respect a long-standing UN arms embargo, words echoed by the host of the talks, Tunisian President Kais Saied.
“This is a historic moment,” Saied told delegates at the opening ceremony.
“We are able to overcome all difficulties and obstacles … when there is no interference from outside powers.”
Media in both eastern and western Libya voiced cautious optimism about the talks.
Some described the dialogue as the last chance to avoid the partition of Libya and bring an end to a decade of violence.
Others said that by trying to redraw the transitional period without direct elections first, it would lay the ground for further armed clashes.

WASHINGTON: The US is expected to impose sanctions as early as next week on Iranians involved in a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations in Iran a year ago, three sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sanctions announcement was timed to the one-year anniversary of what may have been the bloodiest repression of protesters in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
One source said next week’s designations would be a major action covering multiple individuals as well as several dozen Iranian entities.
Neither the State Department nor the Iranian mission to the United Nations immediately responded to a request for comment on the sanctions likely to be imposed next week.
Citing three Iranian Interior Ministry officials, Reuters previously reported about 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15, 2019. The toll included at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as members of the Iranian security forces and police.
Iran’s Interior Ministry has said around 225 people were killed during the protests, which erupted after state media announced that gas prices would rise by as much as 200% and the revenue would be used to help needy families.
The sources, who included one US official and two people familiar with the matter, said the sanctions have been in the works for months and are the latest in a long series of US penalties imposed on Iran by US President Donald Trump.
Trump two years ago abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal struck by his predecessor, Barack Obama, and has since restored harsh US economic sanctions designed to force Tehran into a wider negotiation on curbing its nuclear program, development of ballistic missiles and support for regional proxy forces.
One source said Washington would blacklist people involved in the killing of civilians, while a second source said those targeted would include government and security officials.
Several sources played down a media report that the Trump administration planned a flood of sanctions before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Biden, who was Obama’s vice president, defeated Trump in last week’s US election.
Biden has previously said he will return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for relief from US and other sanctions, if the Iranian government resumes compliance.
“We’ve been sanctioning Iranian entities nearly every week for the past six months. There’s no reason we would put our foot on the brake now, but we’re not pushing it down on the gas pedal any further either,” a Trump administration official said on condition of anonymity.
Two weeks ago, the US Treasury slapped counterterrorism sanctions on key players in Iran’s oil sector for supporting the Quds Force, the elite paramilitary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Analysts said that action, taken ahead of the November 3 US presidential election, was among Trump administration moves seeking to make it harder to lift sanctions if Biden won the White House.