KUWAIT: Salmiya Co-op Society announced it will close all its branches today morning to have all its employees undergo preventive medical tests for coronavirus. The co-op will re-open in the evening. Salmiya residents of can shop at Al-Rumathiya co-op during the morning period. Meanwhile, Al-Sabahiya Co-op Society announced that its chairman of the board of directors tested positive for coronavirus. As a precautionary and preventive measure, all branches of the co-op were sterilized for the safety of customers, it said, noting that all people who were in contact were isolated. Separately, an employee working for the Ministry of Education tested positive for coronavirus. As a precautionary measure, the ministry's building was sterilized yesterday morning.

Obligatory quarantine
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health warns citizens who arrived recently that they are strictly forbidden to make contact with people until the end of the obligatory period of quarantine, which is 28 days.

Medical masks
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced withdrawing a ministerial decision to add medical masks to the ration cards for citizens. The ministry confirmed that efforts are now focused on increasing the production capacity of masks in local factories.

Repatriation to India
KUWAIT: The Indian Embassy has urged Indian nationals in Kuwait who seek repatriation to India due to COVID-19 to fill in a prescribed form. In a press release the embassy stated that the Indian nationals may fill the form in the following link: http://indembkwt.com/eva/. The press release states that the purpose is only to collect data and no decision has been taken yet regarding resumption of flights to India. The embassy will make an announcement on the website and its social media accounts as and when a decision is taken by the government of India in this regard, the release added.

Kuwait, Benin talk COVID-19
KUWAIT: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and his Benin counterpart Aurelien Agbenonci discussed Saturday means to enhance bilateral relations. In a phone conversation, Sheikh Dr Ahmad and minister Agbenonci touched on their countries efforts to counter the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and ways boost cooperation in this regard.