Kuwait Times, Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021 | Rabi Al-Awwal 12, 1443
Kuwait inches closer to return to normal life
Kuwait:
Kuwait could soon take another big step towards returning to normal life as the
government mulls lifting mask mandates outdoors and re-allowing large gatherings
for fully vaccinated individuals while the health situation in the country
continues its drastic improvement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kuwait’s Cabinet is expected to discuss a report on returning to normal life
during its weekly meeting today, a local daily reported yesterday, noting that
opening up some activities that are still closed could be on the table for
discussion. Activities expected to resume are multipurpose halls, allowing
gatherings and standing closer in mosques during prayers, in addition to
allowing people to not wear masks in open places, Al-Qabas Arabic newspaper
reported quoting sources familiar with the government’s internal discussions.
The report will touch on the coronavirus situation in Kuwait, drop in cases and
deaths and ICU admittance. The ministers are also expected to deliberate a
report on cases in schools and indicators of the spread of infection, whose
numbers indicate they are not a cause for worry, said the sources who spoke on
the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet could also discuss a recommendation for issuing entry
visas for foreigners from Nov 1 for all commercial activities. The same
newspaper quoted a government source in a separate report who said that health
authorities “were expected to accept this recommendation due to the stable
health situation and the drop in the number of COVID cases in Kuwait.” The
coronavirus emergency committee had previously agreed to allow granting visas
for all activities related to food security.
Booster shots
In the meantime, Kuwait is expected to receive the first shipments of the
Moderna and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses by late 2021 or early
2022, Al-Jarida Arabic newspaper reported yesterday quoting informed sources.
The doses will also be used to administer booster shots to people fully
vaccinated in Kuwait after they have been approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for that purpose, the anonymous sources added.
The number of new coronavirus cases reported by the Ministry of Health has
dropped to below 100 for well over a month with the number of cases under 50 for
more than two weeks, while health authorities have managed to vaccinate over 80
percent of the population. The health ministry has reported on Saturday that
only eight patients were being treated at intensive care units and just 20 are
admitted at hospitals. The ministry reported only 39 new COVID-19 cases detected
from 14,688 swab tests taken, in addition to a single coronavirus-related death
on the same day.
Several countries in the region have recently taken measures to ease COVID-19
restrictions after recording sharp drop in daily infections and a considerable
development in vaccinations. Saudi Arabia began yesterday easing COVID-19 curbs
that include lifting social distancing and allowing full-capacity attendance at
the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah for those who have taken the full dose of
vaccines. Authorities also canceled curbs on fully vaccinated people at closed
venues, gatherings, transportation, restaurants and cinemas. Furthermore, masks
are no longer mandatory at public open places while still imposed at closed
venues.