Kuwait, UAE mull travel for people with 2-doses

Quarantine must for ‘no-jab’ arrivals

KUWAIT CITY, May 23: Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are currently studying the latter’s proposal to implement a safe travel mechanism between the two countries for people who already took the Covid-19 vaccine, reports Al-Anba daily quoting highly reliable sources.

Sources told the daily that the proposed mechanism covers the citizens and expatriates in the two countries, who will be required to present vaccination certificates or negative swab test results within 72 hours through the approved applications in the two countries or in line with the precautionary measures in each country.

Sources confirmed this is made possible through the coordinated efforts of both countries.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways will begin bookings for summer vacations to a number of destinations, including Bodrum, Trabzon, Tbilisi, and Sarajevo, starting from Sunday noon, reports Al-Anba daily.

The bookings can be done on the company’s website, the smart phone application and the company’s various offices, as well as other travel and tourism offices.

The sources say the flights are expected to take off as of June 10 with two or more flights a week.

The sources said the Kuwait Airways, for the first time, has increased the number of cities it will fly to Turkey -- Istanbul, Sabiha International Airport, Bodrum and Trabzon.

On the other hand, the sources indicated that the ‘Kuwaitia’ is waiting for the approval of the Kuwaiti health authorities to start operations to destinations such as Malacca, Geneva and Paris during this summer.

Institutional quarantine remains in effect for arriving passengers who have yet to be vaccinated against coronavirus -- whether they enter the country through the airport or land and sea borders, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting reliable sources.

Sources said the arriving passengers are divided into two categories: vaccinated and unvaccinated. Sources revealed the vaccinated arriving passengers are exempted from institutional quarantine, provided they got vaccines approved by the country, as well as those who recovered from corona and have not been infected for more than 90 days as they have acquired immunity by recovering from the disease or vaccination, provided they undergo PCR test upon arrival and their home quarantine will end after three days if the test result is negative.

Sources added arriving passengers, who have not been vaccinated, must undergo hotel quarantine for a week and then home quarantine for another week. Sources said these passengers must undergo PCR test upon arrival and another on the sixth day.

Sources enumerated five categories of vaccinated people exempted from institutional quarantine upon arrival at the airport as follows:

1. Kuwaitis who underwent overseas treatment and their companions,

2. Diplomats not registered on ‘Shlonik platform,

3. Those below 18 years old,

4. Kuwaiti students,

5. Medical personnel (They are required to undergo PCR test on the seventh day and return to work if the result is negative).

Sources added those exempted from quarantine upon arrival through the land and sea borders are as follows:

1. Truck drivers,

2. Workers in the divided zone,

3. Official delegations,

4. Sports delegations,

5. Ship crew members.