Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee have announced that new positive COVID-19 cases in Abu Dhabi have plummeted to just 0.2 percent.

The health officials said the low rate was achieved because of a rigorous testing regime in the emirate.

The UAE capital requires residents to show a ‘green’ status which indicated they are clear of COVID-19 before they enter public places.

“Abu Dhabi emirate’s strategic measures include intensified vaccination campaigns aimed at all community members; targeted campaigns for vulnerable categories; continuous pro-active screening campaigns for all community members; and a comprehensive epidemiological tracing system for positive cases and those in contact,” a statement from the committee said.

“The measures also include safety protocols across vital sectors including education, businesses and government services; activation of the green pass system to access some public places; evaluated occupancy rates in public places and strict supervision of adherence to precautionary measures; use of advanced technology to detect infection, including EDE scanners; and strict policies in place for violators.”

It comes as Abu Dhabi once again topped the list of the world’s leading cities for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to London-based analytics consortium, Deep Knowledge Group (DKG).

The Deep Knowledge Group released the report, “Ranking of the Safest Cities during the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Second Quarter of 2021”, which was based on 114 parameters covering key aspects of the COVID-19 response.

The ranking focused on five main categories, including government efficiency, economic resilience, efficiency of the quarantine system, healthcare management and vaccination rates. The categories were applied to 72 cities and municipalities around the world, where 50 cities with the highest ranks among them were selected and analyzed to identify the best practices and the challenges they encounter.

The first version of the report was published in April 2021 and ranked Abu Dhabi as the safest city in the world during the pandemic.