By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday announced eight new cases ofcoronavirus detected over the past 24 hours, Ministry of Health Spokesman DrAbdullah Al-Sanad announced on Thursday, bringing the number of confirmed casesrecorded in the country to 80. Sanad said at a daily press briefing that threeof the infected persons are Kuwaitis who traveled to Iran, while the other fiveare Egyptians who were in close contact with an infected Egyptian who had comefrom Azerbaijan via Dubai.
He revealed five cases have recovered from the infection,adding four infected cases are in the intensive care unit, including one incritical condition and three stable, in addition to 918 cases still atquarantine centers.
Kuwait will halt all commercial flights to and from thestate starting Friday and until further notice, with the exception of cargoflights, state news agency KUNA said yesterday. Authorities also announced apublic holiday in the country from March 12 to March 26, with work resuming onMarch 29, KUNA said, adding that entities providing vital services would remainopen. It said people were banned from going to restaurants and cafes, includingthose inside malls.
The health ministry also imposed mandatory medical tests forcoronavirus for expatriates who returned to the country from Feb 27 onward. Theministry established testing centers at the international fairgrounds inMishref to test expats in accordance with their place of residence from 8.00 amuntil 6.00 pm. Expats must bring their civil IDs and passports with them. OnThursday, expats residing in Jahra governorate who returned from Egypt, Lebanonand Syria were being tested.