The Latest: UAE shatters record for new daily infections

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has shattered its single-day record of new coronavirus infections, with 1,723 cases recorded on Wednesday.

The record figure comes after the UAE said it detected its first known cases of the new, fast-spreading variant of the virus in people arriving from abroad. With an economy that runs on aviation and hospitality, the UAE has remained open for tourism and business.

The commercial hub of Dubai prepares to draw thousands of revelers for New Year’s Eve celebrations downtown, where authorities have mandated mask-wearing and social-distancing.

The UAE has a total of 206,092 cases and 665 deaths amid an aggressive testing campaign.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Top Chinese officials quietly ordered strict controls on all COVID-19 research in the country, internal documents obtained by The AP show, cloaking the search for the origins of the virus in secrecy.

— Newly elected Congressman Luke Letlow dies from COVID-19 complications at age 41 days before he would have been sworn into office.

— Health officials say a Colorado man who became the first reported person in the U.S. to have a COVID-19 variant that is spreading in the United Kingdom hadn’t been traveling.

— California’s most densely populated area continues to set new death and hospitalization records and public health officials say it will remain under strict stay-home orders for the foreseeable future.

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