Cabinet declares 5-5 partial curfew
BAN ON ENTRY OF FOREIGN NATIONALS EXTENDED INDEFINITELY Taxis to carry only two passengers
KUWAIT CITY, March 4, (Agencies): The Council of Ministers held an extraordinary meeting, headed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, on Thursday afternoon at Seif Palace.
After the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah announced what transpired in the meeting.
The meeting decided on the recommendations received from the Ministerial Committee for COVID-19 Emergencies.
It decided to impose a partial curfew in the country from Sunday, March 7, 2021 starting from 5:00 pm to 5:00 am the next day, until 5:00 am on Thursday, April 8, 2021. This decision will be reviewed after the re-evaluation of the health situation in the country.
The decision also mandated the National Guard to assist the police forces in imposing the curfew.
According to the decision, it is permitted during the partial curfew period to walk outside to perform the obligatory prayers in mosques. Pharmacies, medical supply stores, cooperative societies and parallel markets will conduct their activities through delivery service only. Carrying out maintenance activities for air conditioners and elevators will also be allowed.
The decision mandated the Minister of Commerce and Industry to take the necessary measures to ensure the delivery of essential supplies during the partial curfew period, and to regulate the presence at auctions and limit them to companies, cooperative societies, parallel markets and food marketing outlets.
During the period from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm, dine-in services and entry in restaurants and cafes will be banned; orders can be received only from cars or via delivery services. Passengers in taxis will be limited to two only, and all seating areas in public places, public parks and gardens will be closed.
Regarding the lifting of entry ban on non-Kuwaitis, the Cabinet decided to continue to work according to Cabinet resolution No. 77, adopted during its extraordinary meeting No. 4/2021 held on 3/1/2021 to ban non-Kuwaitis from entering the country until further notice.
Also, the Cabinet tasked its Economic Affairs Committee with studying an appropriate mechanism to address the potential economic repercussions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cabinet urged the public to take all precautionary measures and health requirements and stop all gatherings and meetings in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and preserve the safety of everyone and the cohesion of the health system and health services provided to citizens and residents, something that requires cooperation of all to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Cabinet praised the sincere and tremendous efforts exerted by the Ministry of Health, headed by Sheikh Dr. Basel Hamoud Al-Sabah, and all the leaders and workers of all sectors of the ministry, and the sacrifices they made since the beginning of the pandemic and permanently to face this crisis.
Rapid
During the meeting, the Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basel Hamoud Al-Sabah explained the latest developments in the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Kuwait. He affirmed that a rapid increase in the number of cases is being witnessed, reaching unprecedented numbers. He also revealed an increase in the number of deaths and those receiving treatment in the intensive care units, such that the total number of COVID-19 victims is 196,497 and total deaths is 1,105 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Cabinet was also informed of the measures taken by the Ministry of Health to continuously monitor the local epidemiological indicators and the measures taken by all sectors of the ministry to address the pandemic and limit the spread of the virus in order to preserve the health and safety of citizens and residents.
The Cabinet noted the efforts exerted by the ministry to carry out the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to ensure reaching the desired herd immunity.
The Cabinet decided not to extend the decision to close commercial activities, which ends next Sunday, and accordingly, salons, barbershops ,health clubs, and other commercial activities will reopen as of next Sunday March 7, provided that they close with the start of the ban at 5 pm, reports Al Anba daily.
Kuwait, meanwhile, said 1,716 people have tested positive for coronavirus with eight related deaths reported on Thursday taking the total cases up to 196,497 as deaths rose to 1,105 respectively, according to the health ministry.
The number of people hospitalised with the virus currently stands at 12,071, with 167 of them in intensive care units, according to ministry spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad, who revealed that some 11,208 swab tests were conducted over the last day out of a total of 1,822,389.
He went on to urge nationals and expatriates alike that abiding by health precautions, mainly, following social distancing rules, is the only way to halt the spread of the virus.