Kuwait govt urges citizens to acquire travel insurance

KUWAIT: Kuwait's government called on the public anew to abide by the health and preventive measures for their own safety and wellbeing. The Cabinet, in a virtual meeting chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, urged citizens wishing to travel to acquire health insurance to cover costs of treatment in case of infections or accidents, Interior Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said in a statement. He said citizens and expatriates returning to Kuwait should provide a PCR test 72 hours before their arrival date, and that they should spend 14 days in home quarantine following their arrival. The government took note of a regulation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about non-Kuwaiti passengers traveling from 31 countries who were not allowed to enter Kuwait, whether flying directly or via transit from other countries unless they met certain criteria. DGCA indicated that non-Kuwaiti passengers would be allowed to fly to Kuwait if they stayed in third countries for at least 14 days. After the 14-day period, they must conduct PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus 72 hours before departure time, and provide an approval certificate proving a negative result and not being affected with the coronavirus, the DGCA added in a press statement. Those passengers, added DGCA, should also stay for an additional 14 days in home quarantine following entry into Kuwait. The list of those countries banned from entering Kuwait includes India, Iran, China, Brazil, Columbia, Armenia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Syria, Spain, Singapore, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iraq, Mexico, Indonesia, Chile, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Italy, North Macedonia, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Montenegro, Dominican Republic and Kosovo. In the meantime, the Cabinet expressed strong support for Saleh and Minister of Finance Barrak Al-Shaitan against grilling requests by MPs Shuaib Al-Muwaizri and Riyadh Al-Adsani respectively. -- KUNA