43 hotels signed up to offer its services in the mandatory institutional quarantine, which is a condition for arrivals to the country starting next Sunday, February 21, Al Anba reported. The government requires all arrivals to Kuwait to be quarantined in a hotel for 7 days at their expense as part of measures to contain a possible outbreak of coronavirus, and 7 other days in their homes, through the Kuwait Mosafer app.
The sources said to the daily that those hotels agreed in principle to the standard prices for institutional quarantine dependent on whether they are 3-, 4- or 5-star hotels and the services it provides.
The Hotel Owners Association had invited local hotels for more than one meeting to decide on fixed prices for the institutional quarantine. In addition, the sources revealed that some hotels have some concerns about participating in the mandatory quarantine, especially related to precautions, risks, and costs to adhere to the highest international standards for coronavirus preventative measures compared to the price set.
From 21 February, all those wishing to travel to Kuwait will first have to make a booking for institutional quarantine in a local hotel for seven days through the official Mosafer online platform. The spokesperson for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Saad AlOtaibi said, “Airlines will have to ensure that the passenger booking a ticket to Kuwait also has the necessary institutional hotel quarantine booking, and has other travel requirements including for PCR tests on landing in Kuwait.”
He added that the hotel bookings are non-refundable, but the passenger had the choice of picking from 5- 4- or 3-Star hotels based on their budget. Following the seven days in hotel quarantine, the passenger would need to spend an additional seven days in quarantine at their homes.” He noted that health requirements for those quarantined will be the responsibility of the hotels concerned.
Each hotel will set aside full floors dedicated to quarantine, and packaged meals will be delivered to each guest in quarantine to avoid the potential of infection. On whether the sick or elederly would be excluded from institutional quarantine, Al-Otaibi stated that sick patients will be transferred directly to hospitals and will not be quarantined in hotels.
He added that the authorities are yet to decide on whether to exclude the elderly from institutional quarantine. Meanwhile, the Hotel Owners Union said that the Ministry of Health had agreed to vaccinate employees of hotels designated for institutional quarantine. Secretary-General of the Union Muhammad Najia called on hotel managers to register names of employees working in reception, housekeeping, and room service departments so that the vaccination process can take place without any delay.
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