FIRMS ORDERING EXPAT WORKERS OUT OF MAHBOULA TO FACE LEGAL ACTION

KUWAIT CITY, April 7, (KUNA): Kuwait government has decided to extend a partial curfew by two hours as of Monday to be between 5:00 pm until 6:00 am, as well as imposing a lockdown on Mahboula and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh areas, Minister of Interior announced. Anas Al-Saleh, also Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, told an online news conference that the extension of the curfew would be effective as of Monday.

Al-Saleh also said the government believed it would be useful to have gradual extension of the curfew in order to allow people leave their houses but only when necessary. He urged the public anew to stay indoors even when the curfew ended. Al-Saleh also said the government decided to impose a complete lockdown on Mahboula and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh areas for two weeks.

He said the lockdown, which started Monday, would enable the health workers carry out tests of inhabitants in the two areas for their own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of the public in general. Al-Saleh thanked the citizens and expatriates for displaying responsible commitment to the health authorities’ instructions which aimed at preserving their safety.

Minister of Health Sheikh Dr Bassel Al-Sabah, addressing the same news conference, said health authorities were in the process of containment and to know who was the sources of the virus, as well as containing the sick persons. He urged people anew to wash their hands, stay indoors, avoid gatherings and be aware of social distancing.

Sheikh Bassel meanwhile said repatriation of Kuwaitis was undergoing constant review. “I urge all to be patient for the sake of public safety,” he said, and hopefully “you will be reunited with your loved ones.” Sheikh Bassel said the ministry was undergoing its measures in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Firms face legal action Kuwait Ministry of Interior stopped expatriate workers from leaving Mahboula area, south of Kuwait City, as instructed by their sponsors and ordered them to return to their homes, the ministry said Monday. The Ministry knows identities of the sponsors of those workers who wanted to move their employees outside Mahboula area and compel them to return them to their homes, a ministry statement said. The ministry, it affirmed, would be taking legal action against those sponsoring companies. Police forces are monitoring all areas to make sure such things won’t recur, asserted the ministry.

Holidays extended
Kuwait government decided Monday to extend holidays that was supposed to end this week until April 23 as part of the country’s efforts to curb spread of coronavirus (COVID- 19), while taking legal action against sponsors abusing workers.

The government decided to extend the holidays until April 23 and work will resume on Sunday, April 26, spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem told an online news conference following a Cabinet meeting chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Al-Mezrem said the Cabinet assigned Anas Al-Saleh to form a team tasked with taking legal actions against sponsors who fake workforce, as well as taking appropriate measures to prevent abuse of workers.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet statement said it assigned the ministerial economic committee and an executive committee to meet with the national Assembly’s office to discuss the public debt draft law amidst huge change in domestic and external spending due to the coronavirus. The Cabinet also approved a Ministry of Health’s (MoH) request to recruit specialized medical teams from abroad to provide support for front-line workers. It also assigned relevant authorities to extend contracts of workers in services, maintenance, cleaning and operations.

78 new cases reported
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced, Tuesday, that 78 people were infected by the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 743. Health Ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al- Sanad said in the daily briefing that 23 patients were in intensive care; including 17 stable cases and six in critical condition.

Those currently receiving treatment at hospitals reached 673 patients, said the spokesman, adding that 911 individuals have completed quarantine. One death has been reported so far. Regarding those infected, Dr Al-Sanad said that 69 cases were in contact with a coronavirus case. This includes 56 Indian nationals, one Pakistani, three Bangladeshis, as well as three Egyptians.

The numbers also include two Iranians, one Syrian, one Sri Lankan, one Filipino and one Cameroonian national. As for case of epidemical investigation, the Health Ministry spokesman indicated that the tally reached nine patients including one Kuwaiti national, three Indians, an Iranian, two Egyptians, an illegal resident and a Pakistani. Earlier Tuesday, the ministry announced the recovery of two new patients, bringing the total to 105 recoveries.

Take advantage of amnesty
Deputy Premier and Interior Minister urged all expatriates in violation of residency law to benefit from a grace period granted by government to allow them to leave the country without payment of fines.

Al-Saleh, also Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, warned those expatriates they would not be allowed to return to work in Kuwait after end of grace period, due end of this month. Al-Saleh made the remarks to reporters during visits to Ministry of Interior’s locations in Farwaniya Governorate designed to receive expatriates who were in violation of the residency law, a MoI statement said.

Monday was the first day for the Egyptian expatriates to come forward to locations designated by MoI to complete procedures before they are placed in a housing facility and then airlifted to their country. The Egyptian community has five days to apply. Al-Saleh said sponsors abusing expatriates would be held accountable. “There will not be any backtracking on this issue and we will deal with it firmly and fiercely,” he underlined. He said there has been coordination with the Egyptian officials to facilitate the repatriation. Al-Saleh thanked the MoI personnel for the way they were dealing with the expatriates