KUWAIT CITY, Jan 3: Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) has been instructed to open ticket reservations for Kuwaitis, their first degree relatives and domestic workers under their sponsorship to return from the banned countries, reports Al-Anba daily quoting reliable sources. Sources said all the Kuwaitis, who are in the banned countries, were advised to follow up the developments on the abovementioned directive and to return to Kuwait on the specified dates.

Meanwhile commercial flights at Kuwait International Airport resumed on Saturday after a brief suspension sparked by fears over importing a new strain of the coronavirus, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday.

A travel ban on the nationals of some 35 countries Kuwait has regarded as “high risk” due to the spread of the coronavirus will remain intact, said Assistant Director General for Airport Affairs Saleh Al-Fadaghi, adding the measure aims to avoid any strain on the country’s healthcare system.

A series of precautionary measures airline passengers were urged to adhere to still be enforced, the official clarified, saying registration on the website kuwaitmosafer.com is the first step for nationals wishing to travel, before obtaining a travel insurance document that contains medical cover for COVID-19.

A negative COVID-19 test may also be mandatory depending on the traveler’s final destination, he added, while incoming passengers are required to provide negative PCR test results conducted within 96 hours from the date of arrival. A 14-day home quarantine will be imposed on all arrivals in Kuwait in line with established health protocols, he emphasized. (KUNA)