KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education Fatima Al-Senan said on Saturday that the ministry keeps a close watch on the Kuwaiti students studying abroad amid the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Soon after the outbreak of the disease in Italy, the Ministry arranged and followed up the evacuation of the Kuwaiti students there in collaboration with the cultural office in Paris, said Senan, who is in charge of the Ministry's scholarship affairs and cultural relations.

"The cultural office in Cairo has also adopted the necessary measures to educate the Kuwaiti students at the Egyptian colleges and visited a number of those students," she noted in statements. In coordination with Kuwait Embassy in Cairo, the Ministry set up a taskforce to take the necessary steps in case of any medical emergency and follow up the precautions adopted by the Egyptian universities against any potential outbreak of the disease.

The Ministry has also made sure of the preventive measures, including the sterilization of its facilities, to protect the safety of its staff and students and their families, she went on, noting that coordination is underway with the Ministry of Health to screen all visitors of headquarters of her ministry. - KUNA