KUWAIT: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) added to the burden of tasks for the Kuwaiti social, utility and transport sectors throughout the passing year. The following are record events and tasks in these fields in 2020:
Jan 24: Kuwait Airways received "Wara", its third Airbus A320neo. The aircraft flew from Hamburg, Germany, to Kuwait.
Feb 24: Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) banned vessels coming from Iraq from entering the country's waters as part of the COVID-19 countermeasures.
Feb 24: The Directorate of Civil Aviation halted flights from South Korea, Thailand, Italy, and Iraq due to the heavy presence of COVID-19 infections in the mentioned countries.
Feb 25: Kuwait's Touristic Enterprises Company allocated Khairan resort as a quarantine facility for COVID-19.
Feb 25: Directorate of Civil Aviation halted flights coming from Singapore and Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 13: The Ministry Awqaf and Islamic Affairs closed mosques nationwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
March 13: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri ordered the closure of public parks until further notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
March 15: Jazeera airline provided 14 of its aircraft to aid the government program to repatriate Kuwaitis abroad and to deliver goods and medical supplies.
March 17: Kuwait enforced quarantine for Kuwaitis returning from the US, UK, Germany, Spain, and France.
March 21: Kuwait Ports Authority allocated four warehouses for medical supplies used by the Ministry of Health.
March 29: Over KD 9 million was collected from the public to aid the government efforts against the spread of the coronavirus. The campaign's money was used to assist low-income families and workers throughout the country.
May 8: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation declared that the total number of returning citizens as part of the overall evacuation scheme hit 29,168. The process that kicked off on April 19 and ended on May 6 involved 75 air flights.
June 10: The Ministry Awqaf and Islamic Affairs reopened a number of mosques nationwide after nearly three months of closure as a countermeasure against COVID-19.
July 28: Government departments resumed work with the physical presence of the workforce at 50 percent.
Aug 1: Kuwait International Airport resumed operations gradually starting with a six-month first phase at the operating rate of 30 percent of the passenger capacity after a total stoppage starting on March 13 due to the novel coronavirus.
Aug 31: The new board of Kuwait Airways held the first meeting under the chairmanship of Ali Al-Dokhan after Finance Minister Barrak Al-Sheetan issued an order on August 27 for reforming the board.
Dec 1: The 10,000 square meters Hawalli municipal building opened including several municipal departments serving citizens and residents alike.
Dec 2: Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel said that the cabinet was keen on cultivating human resources, revealing that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) assigned 12,924 out of 15,680 candidates to jobs. She added that in cooperation with the public authority for planning and development, 500 training courses were held in the country, noting that 30 scholarship programs were offered in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education.
Dec 2: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Rana Al-Fares said that the Public Authority for Housing Affairs had signed the south Khaitan housing project, offering dwelling for some 1,448 Kuwaiti families. She indicated that 531 kilometers of inner streets were paved in 48 areas.
Dec 8: The Ministry of Communication signed a KD 1.1 million ($3.6 million) deal to import fiber optic cables linking 907 schools with the ministry. - KUNA