KUWAIT: Kuwait's Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Waleed Al-Jassem said Monday car repair shops affiliated to cooperative societies and in gas stations would reopen in all areas nationwide. Jassem, in a tweet, said the decision also includes repair shops in Kabd, Abdaly and Wafra.

He said reopening decision was in compliance with a government's approval of reopening of some car businesses, which were closed due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Cabinet tasked, during an extraordinary session on Monday, Kuwait Municipality to allow resumption of activities related to repair of cars and trade in auto spare parts.

COVID-19 briefing
Following the session which was held at Seif Palace under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said it kicked off with His Highness the Prime Minister extending congratulations to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince and the gracious people of Kuwait on advent of the holy month of Ramadan.

Minister of Health and head of the team tasked with following up on spread of the novel coronavirus, Sheikh Dr Basel Humoud Al-Sabah, briefed the ministers about latest developments related to spread of the virus globally, based on data and statistics of the World Health Organization.

He also informed his peers about tallies of the infections and deaths in Kuwait, where it has been observed that tracing and mingling cases have increased. The ministers followed up on developments with respect of treatment, prevention and logistics related to the virus, examining recommendations by the ministerial panel tasked with following up on the contagion.

The Cabinet advised the ministries of health, information, municipality, Public Authority for Industry, Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fisheries, Environment Public Authority, Public Authority for Food and Nutrition to have personnel present 24 hours at border exits to speed up entry of imported commodities.

Sufficient quarantines
Moreover, the Cabinet tasked Ministry of Finance to secure a sufficient number of quarantines, with some 3,000 rooms, to accommodate citizens coming back from abroad as part of the evacuation operation, in addition to specializing some hotels for medical purposes.

In response to His Highness the Amir desire not to neglect economic fallouts and negative effects resulting from the fight against the coronavirus and for sake tapering burdens on the citizens, the ministers discussed a request by the ministry of finance to examine delay of monthly installments for clients of the fund of defaulting citizens and the family fund due to extraordinary circumstances resulting from the coronavirus spread.

In this regard, the cabinet decided to postpone collection of monthly dues for clients of the two funds for six months as of April, also tasking the minister of finance to coordinate with the legislations department to draw up a relevant bill. The Cabinet welcomed the declaration by the coalition for supporting the legitimacy in Yemen, renewing a call for full ceasefire for a month as of April 23, in line with a call in this respect by the United Nations. - KUNA