Manama :
Kuwait decided on Thursday to allow expats who have been fully vaccinated to enter the country from August 1.
Expats who have received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be allowed to enter the country, government spokesman Tareq Al Mezram said.
In addition, they must provide a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their arrival and need to be on seven days quarantine upon arrival in Kuwait.
The decision to allow the entry of vaccinated expats was taken during the weekly cabinet meeting.
Also, citizens who received two doses of one of the approved vaccines will be able to leave the country from August 1. Children younger than the eligible age, people who have a letter from the Health ministry proving they can’t get vaccinated due to medical conditions and pregnant women are exempted from the decision, he said.
Entry to cafes, gyms, salons and malls that are 6,000 metres and larger will be restricted to those who have been vaccinated in restaurants from June 27.
This new decision is a sigh of relief to thousands of expats, including Indians, who have been stranded in their home countries due to the entry ban. Many residents are stuck outside of Kuwait, unable to return since the start of the pandemic due to several travel restrictions and bans.
Kuwait has halted issuing new visas since the start of the pandemic, and has barred non-Kuwaitis from travelling to the country since February 7.
