New COVID cases dip; 17 stores shut
MINISTER INSPECTS CENTER FOR RESIDENCY VIOLATORS CONTRACTS FOR 12 QUARANTINE SITES
Twenty-nine patients in intensive care KUWAIT CITY, April 12, (Agencies): The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced Sunday that 80 people were infected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,234.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced the closure of 17 commercial stores that did not abide by preventive measures laws as part of combating the spread of coronavirus.
During its daily briefing, Health Ministry Spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said that 29 patients were in intensive care.
Those currently receiving treatment at hospitals reached 1,091 patients, said the spokesperson, adding that 313 individuals have completed quarantine in the last 24 hours. One death has been reported.
Earlier, the ministry announced the recovery of nine new patients, bringing the total to 142 recoveries. Speaking to KUNA, the minister said lab tests and analyses had shown the recovery of the patients. The already treated case will be admitted to a rehabilitation ward before being discharged from hospital, the minister added.
In a statement KUNA, the ministry said that two stores were reopened as well, adding their inspection teams monitored 279 cooperative societies, popular markets, commercial stores, and vegetable stand-alone shops to determine the extent of their commitment to new regulations and to maintain the stability of prices to products.
The ministry noted that their teams also monitored 80 ration house branches to ensure their abiding by the measures and the selling of food rations to people. The statement added their emergency hot line received 184 compliant calls, through their number 135, and 12 of those calls through their monitoring centers.
Medical supplies
A plane of the Indian Air Force boarding medical supplies and medics specialized in combating the novel coronavirus has arrived in Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Army said on Saturday.
The army said in a statement the medical team and the equipment were sent in as part of coordination between the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense and its counterpart bodies externally and with the Ministry of Health locally for coping with the emergency medical conditions.
The head of medical services Sheikh Dr Abdullah Meshaal Al-Sabah, the deputy Indian ambassador, Raj Gopal Singh, officers of the Kuwaiti Air Force and other Indian diplomats, were present upon the aircraft touchdown at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base.
Center inspection
Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh toured the center for harboring violators of residency law in the district of Kabad.
He examined precautionary and security measures at the facility and conditions of the center occupants.
The minister also visited the district of Jleeb Al-Shoyoukh that has been placed under lockdown where he inspected security precautions in and around the region, a ministry statement said.
It quoted him as saying that total lockdown throughout the country remained a possible option affirming readiness of the security personnel to ensure implementation of such measure.
SAB approves contracts
The State Audit Bureau (SAB) approved 12 contracts for sites to be used as quarantine for Kuwaitis returning from abroad.
Speaking to KUNA, SAB’s undersecretary and head of the bureau’s emergency team Suleiman Al-Busairi said that they were in contact with officials from several locally based and international-brand hotels to discuss using their facilities for quarantine.
The contracts varied in daily expenses and services from KD 4,000 ($12,000) to KD 45 ($144), he indicated.
The approval are within the state’s laws, Al-Busairi affirmed, indicating that a number of hotels agreed to the deals, while others declined.
Focus on infection rate
The efforts of concerned authorities are now focused on filling gaps that cause the rate of coronavirus infection to increase among people by penetrating and expanding regional isolation, reports Al-Anba daily.
Health sources stressed the importance of announcing the number of daily medical surveys in the country for citizens and expatriates to clarify high or low index of the virus spread curve. They pointed out that authorities have nothing to rely on in their quest to determine where the indicator is heading.
“Accordingly, it’s taking more precautionary measures such as territorial isolation and extension of the partial ban or curfew, which is costly, exhausting and harmful to the economy and people- although it will not cause the number of casualties to reduce because of failure to unravel reasons for the increase, which could be human contact, trip returnees, overcrowding and lack of medical surveys,” they added.
They stressed that inverse association between the curve and the number of patients is relatively
reassuring, so only the number of patients will be announced.
They asked about the number of swabs that were conducted for Indian nationals, of which 101 were monitored Saturday, “and if 1000 swabs were done and 101 cases discovered, the situation would not be necessary to have conducted 200 swabs, as it was clear that this number had been infected”.
They stated the increase in coronavirus infection is noticeable among Indian residents and requires several urgent measures so that the virus does not spread among them in a way that affects the ability of health service providers to continue providing their service.
The sources pointed out that the first procedure requires the implementation of a comprehensive examination of Indian nationals and taking medical measures, both in subjecting them to hospital treatment, transfer to quarantines or home isolation, with a tracked electronic bracelet.