Gulf News, Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Muharram 11, 1442
Strict measures put in place as Kuwait curfew is lifted
Kuwait:
As Kuwait prepares to lift a five-month curfew, mainly partial except for a
three-week total lockdown, the government is putting in place strict
measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The curfew will be lifted at 3am on August 30. The lifting of the curfew
comes almost two weeks after Kuwait entered Phase 4 of a 5-phase plan to
return to normality.
A committee has been formed with various governmental agencies to follow up
on the health requirements in parallel with the new regulations put in
place.
Restrictions
The committee has agreed to not change working hours for the first week
after the curfew is lifted, except for cooperative societies and
supermarkets that will be open for 24 hours.
As for other commercial businesses, the committee agreed to change the hours
for the following: Shopping malls 9am to 10pm, saloons 9am to 11pm,
restaurant and cafes 5am to 11pm and laundry and dry cleaners from 7am to
11pm.
In regards to the workforce, the committee decided to maintain the
regulations enforced during Phase 4 and allow public and private businesses
to continue operating at a 50 per cent capacity in terms of employees.
Although, if needed, the workplace can increase the number of employees
working in the office as long as there are no more than three employees in
the same department at the same time.
The Ministry of Interior will continue to work closely with the Ministry of
Health to ensure that no large gatherings take place, whether in public
spaces like malls and supermarkets or private weddings and funerals, Al
Jarida reported.
For now, the government has banned the holding of any large event like
weddings, parties, and funerals.
Curfew timeline
Kuwait was one of the countries that witnessed the longest curfew in the
world. Since March 22, Kuwait has been under some form of curfew, both
partial and complete. The curfew hours have changed every month, more or
less, as the government evaluates the health situation to ensure a safe
return to normality.
Between May 10 and May 30, a nationwide total curfew was enforced. Some
areas saw an extended total curfew, with Mahboula and Jleeb Al Shuyoukh
witnessing a three-month total lockdown.
The curfew limited working hours, thus putting an economic strain on many
businesses.
According to a May report by Bloomberg, 45 per cent of companies polled in
Kuwait shut down operations, 22 per cent are experiencing difficulty and 80
per cent won’t be able to cover more than six months of fixed costs.
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