Kuwait to ban entry of foreigners for 2 weeks to curb virus

By Muhammed Abdulgaffar and Ibrahim Hazin

KUWAIT (AA) - Kuwait announced Wednesday that it will ban foreigners from entering the country for two weeks from Feb. 7 as part of measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to a statement by the Kuwait Council of Ministers, Kuwait citizens including first-degree relatives such as parents and children as well as accompanying domestic workers will be exempt, but all those entering the country will have to quarantine.

All commercial activities in the country will also be stopped between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., including restaurants, but takeaway services will be permitted.

Pharmacies, health care equipment sales and grocery stores will also be exempted.

The decisions were reportedly taken due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to official data, the country’s death toll from COVID-19 has reached 961 and the number of cases totals 167,410.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara