536 Kuwaiti cases push total to 833
Three deaths
KUWAIT CITY, July 9, (Agencies): Kuwait’s Health Ministry on Thursday registered 833 additional coronavirus infections with three deaths, upping the country’s tally of cases to 52,840 and the death toll to 382, respectively.
Kuwaiti nationals accounted for 536 cases out of 833 reported in the last 24 hours, while 297 foreigners had contracted the highly contagious disease, according to health ministry Spokesman Dr Abdullah AlSanad.
In terms of health zones, 254 cases were reported in Al-Ahmadi, 200 in Al-Jahra, 173 in Al-Farwaniya and 136 in Hawally, while 70 infections were recorded in the Capital, added the spokesman.
As for the top six areas with the highest infection numbers, he listed Jaber Al-Ali with 40 cases, Saad Al-Abdullah (36), Sabah Al-Salem (35), Oyoun (34), Ardiya (32) and Mangaf (30).
He went on to reveal that 150 cases are currently in the intensive care unit, while the number of “active cases” stands at 9,772.
Kuwait has ramped up its coronavirus testing capacity, with 5,011 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, out of a total of 422,885, added the spokesman.
Meanwhile, some 578 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, upping the total number of those to have overcome the disease to 42,686, he said.
He reiterated the strict need to abide by health precautions, urging nationals and expatriates alike that following social distancing rules is the only way to keep the virus at bay.
Ban lift
The Council of Ministers during an extraordinary meeting was expected to lift the total lockdown of Farwaniya which was imposed on the area at the end of last May, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
The daily added, the Cabinet is expected to open the area on Aug 21, 2020 at the same time to completely close the ‘curfew page’ in conjunction with the start of the third phase of the ‘five-stage’ plan announced by the government to restore life to normal on the 21st of this month.
The sources confirmed, the Eid Al-Adha holidays are expected to be without curfew in both total and partial terms.
She pointed out that the third stage of the plan, which is scheduled to kick off on Aug 21, includes resuming work in the government sector with 50 percent of the employees reporting to work and allowing visits to cooperative societies and shopping centers without the requirement to obtain a barcode.
Kuwait Ports Authority called on companies and individuals who were unable to receive the goods that they had imported from overseas, due to the imposition of a partial or total curfew in the country, which resulted in grounding charges, to visit the authority in order to initiate the process of exempting them from paying such charges, reports Aljarida daily.
According to a circular published on Wednesday by Kuwait Ports Authority on its official website, the importers must submit documents to indicate the damages, provided they were caused by the precautionary health measures taken by the government to combat and contain the spread of COVID-19, within ten days from the date of the circular in order for the authority to study the exemption of grounding charges as per the submitted documents.
The Kuwait Airways announced it will operate a flight from Kuwait to New York and vice-versa, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
The sources close to the issue said the trip is for Kuwaiti students and those who travel for treatment abroad, as well as the US citizens, subject to official approval.
The daily did not give more details.
Friday prayers
The Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Counselor Dr Fahd Al-Afasi, anticipates allowing worshippers for Friday prayers inside mosques from July 17 by lifting the temporary suspension for group prayers, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
Al-Afasi in a decision issued Wednesday pointed out that the mosques will continue with the closure of water coolers, women’s worship area, libraries, and toilets, in addition to adherence to all previous decisions issued by the Council of Ministers, including social distancing.