Kuwait - Restrictions will come into effect at 4pm on Sunday until May 30.
Published: Fri 8 May 2020, 5:34 PM
Last updated: Sun 12 Jul 2020, 1:12 AM
The Kuwait government decided on Friday to impose a full curfew as of 4pm Sunday (May 10) until May 30, as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
As part of the restrictions, people are only allowed to exercise for two hours a day inside their areas of residence and without cars being used.
The government, in a live video call chaired by his His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, decided to limit issuance of curfew permits for people working in vital departments, Deputy Premier Minister and Minister of Interior, Anas Al Saleh, said in a statement.
It formed emergency teams in the six Governorates to follow up implementation of the curfew and deal with emergency cases, said Al Saleh, who is also the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.
The government gave people a grace period between 4:30-6:30 p.m. every day to exercise inside residential areas but without use of cars.
They, however, need to wear masks and abide by social distancing, said Al Saleh.
He said only essential government departments would be working, with the cessation of the private sector unless contractors are determined by the cabinet.
Home deliveries are not permitted, with the exception of those from cooperative societies, food stores and pharmacies.
Al Saleh also said live interviews by media outlets would be suspended to be replaced by online interviews.
Distribution of newspapers and media publications will be halted too.
The government said it hoped the public would abide by the full curfew and comply with health authorities' instructions, primarily staying at home, avoiding crowds, practising social distancing and using face masks.
This compliance, said Al Saleh, would contribute to curbing and ultimately eliminating the virus, which would allow the gradual reopening of services and the return of normal life.
Meanwhile, the government assigned the Public investment Authority to hand over Al Khiran Resort to the Ministry of Health to be used as a field hospital.
It instructed the MoH to hand over the remaining quantity of masks it received from Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the latter would be distributing them to the cooperative societies to be sold by 100 fils per mask.
The government urged all people to wear any type of masks in all public areas, shopping centres and work places.
The MoH will instruct pharmacies to provide masks for the public, said Al Saleh.
Meanwhile, people who were renting from ministries and government departments will be exempted from payment of the lease during these exceptional times.
The government also thanked the team that accomplished the repatriation plan of Kuwaiti citizens between April 19 and May 6.
This was conducted upon instructions of Amir of Kuwait His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.
On Friday the Gulf state announced 641 new coronavirus cases and three deaths, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 7,208, with 47 deaths.
The number of cases in the six Gulf Arab states has risen steadily to almost 86,000, with 486 deaths, despite containment measures including restrictions on movement, the grounding of passenger flights and the closure of most public venues.
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