KUWAIT CITY, April 3, (Agencies): Kuwaiti Cabinet held an extraordinary session Thursday, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. After the meeting, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah made the following statement. The Cabinet thanked all of the medical cadres, headed by the Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basil Al-Sabah, on the International Doctor’s Day, expressing gratitude for their tremendous efforts and sacrifices, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic times.

Moreover, the Cabinet was briefed by the Health Minister Dr. Bassel Al-Humoud Al-Sabah on the health situation in the country. The Cabinet called on all citizens and residents to continue cooperation and commitment to health requirements and precautionary measures. The Cabinet said it studied the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee for COVID-19 Emergencies, and then decided the following:

First: Continuing the partial curfew in the country as of the evening of Thursday, 8/4/2021, to start at 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. of the next day, until the morning of Thursday, 22/4/2021.

Second: A- During the holy month of Ramadan, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets are allowed to offer home-delivery services from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. during the partial curfew times. B- Public are allowed to practice outdoor exercises and walk in their residential areas from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. C- Public are allowed to visit the cooperative societies and parallel markets during the partial curfew times from 7 p.m. until 12 a.m. by booking appointments via the reservations system.

Third: Assigning the concerned parties to implement the decisions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali said he expects the partial ban to continue during the next stage until the number of infections decrease. He added, “We are on the verge of the month of Ramadan where customs and gatherings in the holy month can lead to an increase in the rate of infections with the coronavirus, so our recommendations to the Council of Ministers is to continue with the partial curfew but with reduction in the times of the curfew.”

This came in a statement to journalists, after his meeting with officials of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at Kuwait Airport, where he confirmed that the recent partial curfew was imposed as a result of the increase in the numbers of coronavirus infections during the second wage of the pandemic, as “we reached frightening numbers of about 1,700 infections per day and the rate of infections has increased compared to the number of swabs which reached about 20 percent, so we had a big task on hand to protect citizens and residents, so we suggested to the Minister of Health to implement the current partial curfew, and thanks to God, we reaped the fruit.”

He went on to say, “We hope the rate of infections will decrease especially since the medical staff has given all the best and look tired because they have been working without vacation or holidays.” He revealed the project to transform the DGCA into an independent body is currently on the table of the Economic Committee in the Council of Ministers. Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali stressed, the DGCA sector is one of the strategic sectors that contribute to the success of development plans and building a strong national economy that supports the future vision aimed at diversifying sources of income.