Dr Basel Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: Restaurants and coffee shops opened yesterday for customers after a long period of closure. The Kuwait Cabinet has decided to reopen all eateries provided customers abide by health precautionary measures against COVID-19 and conduct temperature checks. Dining inside restaurants and cafes is allowed from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm, after which only takeaways and delivery orders are accepted.

The Ministry of Health had announced Saturday five COVID-19 deaths and 1,017 infections registered in the previous 24 hours. The new figures took the country's death toll to 1,724 and the caseload to 298,223, noted the ministry's spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad in a statement. He pointed out that 1,039 patients had recovered over the same period, raising the total to 283,952.

He added that the number of people hospitalized with the virus stood at 12,574 as of Saturday, including 164 in ICUs. Dr Sanad revealed that 8,249 swabs conducted over the same period, bringing the total to 2.51 million. He renewed calls to abide by health precautions to curb the spread of the virus.

The Cabinet had ended a partial curfew imposed a few months ago to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, from the first day of Eid Al-Fitr on March 13 as the country is heading for reopening various sectors on gradual basis. Cinemas and theatres were reopened only for people who have been vaccinated provided customers strictly observe all health conditions like wearing face masks and observing social distancing. All public and private celebrations including weddings and gatherings at diwaniyas are still banned.