Kuwait is returning to normal life after 20 months of closure
Our website monitors that the government announced yesterday a "cautious" return to life before the epidemic spread, ending 20 months of closure. As of October 24,
The airport will resume at full capacity and all types of visas will be issued. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said in a brief speech after an extraordinary meeting:
“Today we announce the cautious return to normal life and the start of the fifth and final phase” of returning to life before the pandemic. from the cabinet.
It is worth noting that he announced the cancellation of all restrictions that the government began to impose in late February last year to contain the spread of the Corona virus, which killed more than 2,400 people in the country.
Sheikh Sabah expressed his thanks to the front-line workers, whom he called the "White Army", and all volunteers who participated in the extraordinary efforts to combat COVID-19.
He admitted to making some mistakes, "but the successes exceeded the mistakes," and the authorities are now dealing with Kuwait after the pandemic.
And government spokesman Tariq Al-Mazram said that the cabinet approved proposals submitted by the Corona Virus Emergency Committee that led to the reopening of the country, but he urged the public to comply with the health conditions.
He also said that the Council of Ministers asked the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to end social distancing in mosques as of Friday, October 22, provided that worshipers are vaccinated, bring their own prayer rugs and continue to wear masks.
The Council of Ministers also allowed the return of conferences and weddings, provided that only the vaccinated people were allowed to attend.
And wear masks. The decision is effective as of October 24. Mazrem said that the Cabinet also decided to abolish the requirement to wear masks in open areas from October 24, but masks remain mandatory in closed areas.
He said the Cabinet has asked the Ministry of Interior and the Manpower Authority to start issuing all types of visas to people who have been vaccinated with approved vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) from October 24.
Muzaram said that the Cabinet also directed the Civil Aviation Department to operate Kuwait Airport at its full capacity, with about 30,000 passengers per day, as of October 24.
The Kuwait Tourism and Travel Association said in a statement, yesterday, that the main reason for the skyrocketing price of airline tickets, which rose by 500 percent, is due to the limited capacity of the airport,
He said airline ticket prices will drop sharply after the airport fully resumes. operations. The land and sea border stations of the State of Kuwait will also operate at full capacity.
Health Minister Sheikh Basil Al-Sabah said that the numbers show that the health situation is improving and the epidemic is deteriorating. But he warned against not complying with the necessary health conditions, especially wearing masks,
for a successful reopening. He said restrictions could be reintroduced if the number of cases rose sharply or new variants were discovered.
The minister said that PCR tests will remain in place for travelers coming to Kuwait, and those who are not immunized will be isolated. To enter the country, foreigners must be fully vaccinated with vaccines authorized in Kuwait,
While those who have taken other vaccines must take a third booster dose of the vaccine authorized by Kuwait. Sheikh Basil also insisted that “the epidemic is not over yet. It is still there
The minister said that the health authorities have started giving a booster dose to certain sectors of society in an effort to boost their immunity.