Manama: Kuwaiti decided to extend the nationwide partial curfew to 16 hours and national holidays up until May 28, in a bid to stem the spread of deadly coronavirus, the government spokesman said on Monday.
The longer curfew hours to be imposed from 4 pm to 8 am starting the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, possibly April 24, he said at a press conference.
The current night curfew, which was clamped on March 22, has been started at 5pm and continue till 4 am.
In addition, the government also decided to extend the national holiday until May 28, which was originally scheduled to end on April 26, he added. Under the national holiday, the work in the public sector including at government ministries and private sector have been suspended.
The Minister of Health, Sheikh Dr. Basil Al-Sabaha said on Monday that the country is planning to conduct a study to impose a total curfew in the country after the repatriation of citizens from abroad.
Also, the government tasked the interior ministry and information to publicise the names of people violating home quarantine and curfew in the social media.
More than 200 people have been arrested so far in violation of the curfew hours. Earlier on April, Kuwait has warned that those who violate curfew has to face harsh punishments such as deportation for expatriates.
Kuwait reported 80 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths on Monday, bringing the total infections to 1,995 and death toll to nine, the health ministry said in a media briefing.
In wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Kuwait has suspended all commercial flights on March 13. The government has shut down stores, malls and barbershops.
The Kuwaiti government has already lockdown the suburban Kuwait city, Mahboula and Jleeb Al Shuyoukh since April 7. Both areas are hubs for expatriate workers among whom a spike in infections has been recently recorded.
More than 1182 Indians were confirmed with the virus to date.
Meanwhile, Qatar decided to gradually lift the lockdown imposed on its industrial area starting Wednesday. The industrial zone, which operates dozens of labour camps, has been under a lockdown since March 17 amid coronavirus outbreak.
