Nine deaths, 1,065 new virus cases
Female police officer has coronavirus
KUWAIT CITY, May 10, (Agencies): The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced 1,065 new coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 8,688, while nine deaths were reported as well, bringing the fatalities’ toll up to 58.
In its daily press briefing, Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said that 114 patients were in intensive care, 45 of them are in critical condition.
Earlier today, the Ministry announced the recovery of patients 107, bringing the total to 2,729 recoveries.
Police officer has virus
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday that a female police officer tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The officer was rushed to hospital and her family and colleagues had to undergo medical tests to verify their health conditions, according to a statement by the Ministry’s public relations and security media dept.
The test results of the females in uniform has yet to be come out, the statement noted.
It affirmed that all women prisoners have been kept in solitary quarantine since their arrival at the jail pending the completion of routine health procedures, including a comprehensive medical checkup, as per the recommendations of the Ministry of Health.
The statement followed a tweet, which went viral on social media, that a female police officer at a women prison contracted the virus along with her family and colleagues as well as the inmates of the prison.
The tweet alleged that a number of inmates at a men’s prison were also infected and two of them died of the virus, a claim that was refuted by the Ministry of Interior.
Volunteer faces investigation
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior said that the volunteer who was caught on camera beating an expatriate in Jleeb AlShuyoukh area, has been referred to investigators.
Soon after detecting the video of the incident on the social media, the security services summoned the volunteer and referred him to the competent body that will take the necessary measures, according to a statement from the Ministry’s public relations and security media dept.
30 mln masks to be delivered
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Abdulaziz Shuaib, said the ministry is expected to receive 30 million masks, to be delivered to the cooperative societies in accordance with the instructions of the Council of Ministers and its latest decision, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Shuaib said in a television statement that there will be a meeting with the Federation of Cooperative Societies to agree on the mechanism of distribution, preparation and prices that will not exceed 100 fils.
MoH eyeing private support
After about 3 months of the emergence of the ‘Corona’ crisis, the Ministry of Health has decided to use private hospitals to ‘support’ it fight the virus, reports Al-Qabas daily.
In this regard sources told the daily the Accounting Office is studying a contract whereby the Ministry of Health is planning to contract with private hospital companies to support the government health system to treat the people infected with the virus.
The sources said the contract value is KD 32.1 million.
15 MEW employees infected
The Ministry of Health reported that the tests and swabs taken from a number of Ministry of Electricity and Water employees recently showed that 15 of the expatriates infected with the coronavirus, a majority of them sanitary workers, reports Al-Qabas daily.
The sources told the daily a majority of these workers worked in South Surrah and that they have been sent to the quarantine. It is believed they worked in different departments of the ministry.
‘Passengers to pass’
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced an agreement with the Ministry of Interior to allow passengers, departing and arriving, to pass to and from Kuwait International Airport during the total ban period, provided that the travel ticket is presented by the traveler, reports Al-Rai daily.
DGCA indicated that only one person will be allowed to accompany the traveler, whether incoming or departing, provided a copy (paper or electronic) of the travel ticket is presented.
All banks closed May 11
Director of Public Relations Department at Kuwait Exchange Union Sheikha Al Isa
declared that all branches of all banks will be closed from Monday, May 11 to May 30 based on instruction of Central Bank of Kuwait and decision of the Cabinet to implement total lockdown in Kuwait from May 10, 4:00 pm to May 30, reports Al-Nahar daily.
She affirmed that all banks will continue providing online services for their customers.
Military plane arrives in China
A Kuwaiti military aircraft arrived in China’s Quanzhou International Airport Sunday to ship out medical supplies as part of air bridge between the two countries.
In a statement to KUNA, Kuwait’s Ambassador to China Sameeh Hayat affirmed that Sunday’s plane is the 10th in the schedule of providing the country with medical supplies to enhance its strategic stock.
“Each shipment carries approximately 50 to 55 tons of medical and preventive supplies,” he pointed out.
Hayat noted that this trip came as part of a series efforts and tasks carried out by the Ministry of Defense, thanks for its cooperation and permanent coordination with the Ministry of Health, with the aim of providing various medical equipment during such health conditions that the country and the world as a whole are going through.