Khairan Resort turned to quarantine site * more countries join flight ban list
KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Health announced four morecases tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number ofconfirmed cases in Kuwait to nine. The four cases were among citizens who werein quarantine after returning from Iran. The Health Ministry announced infectedcases for three Kuwaiti men in the early morning hours, before announcing thefourth case - a Kuwaiti woman - at around 9:00 pm. The condition of allpatients is stable and they are currently recovering at a Ministry of Healthhospital that was prepared to handle cases infected with COVID-19, the ministrysaid in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Touristic Enterprises Company announcedthat the Khairan Resort will be evacuated starting tomorrow (Wednesday) to beturned into a quarantine site for people suspected to be infected with thenovel coronavirus. This came upon a Ministry of Finance request to use thelocation for quarantine. All prior reservations will be canceled and moneyrefunded, TEC said.
In the meantime, Kuwait suspended flights from and to South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Iraq, Singapore and Japan, which join Iran, Hong Kong and China as locations flights to and from which were previously suspended.
In response to speculation that schools could be closedbeyond the national holidays which end on Thursday, Kuwait University announcedtoday that classes are still on as scheduled. The Ministry of Education has sofar not made an announcement on whether to suspend schools for one or two weeksafter the holiday as widely speculated. Senior ministry officials arereportedly set to meet Thursday to decide whether to extend the holiday or not.
Also yesterday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry closed5 pharmacies for violating orders that set prices of masks at 100 fils forsurgical masks and 1.320 for N95 masks. The pharmacies are located in Salmiya(1) Maidan Hawally (2) Ishbiliya (1) and Rai (1).