The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Thursday the number of recoveries from the virus outnumbered new cases at 639, while no further deaths were recorded.

It added that the Ministry of Health conducted 67,821 tests in the same period.

The total number of cases in the country since the onset of the global pandemic rose to 72,154.

The latest figures follow continued warnings from the government over large family gatherings and the importance of social distancing and adhering to strict health and safety protocols.

The number of confirmed cases had been as low as 164 at the start of the month, but authorities have witnessed an increase over the last few days.

On Wednesday, it was announced that a group of schools across the UAE had been forced to revert back to distance learning after staff members were suspected to have tested positive for coronavirus.

The move has been taken by the Ministry of Education and NCEMA just three days after schools in the country reopened their doors following more than six months of closure.

The names of the schools involved were not revealed by authorities.