Kuwait government decided Friday to impose a full curfew as of 4:00 p.m. Sunday (May 10) until May 30, as part of measures to stem spread of COVID-19, but would only allow people to exercise for two hours a day inside their areas and without cars being used.
The government, in a live video call chaired by his Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, decided to limit issuance of curfew permits for people working in vital departments, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Anas Al-Saleh said in a statement.
It formed emergency teams in the six Governorates to follow up implementation of curfew and deal with emergency cases, said Al-Saleh, also Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.
The government gave people a grace period between 4:30-6:30 p.m. every day to exercise inside residential areas but without use of cars. They, however, need to wear masks and abide by physical distancing, said Al-Saleh.
He said only necessary government departments would be working, stopping of operation of private sector unless contractors determined by the cabinet, stopping home deliveries with exception of cooperative societies, food stores and pharmacies.
Al-Saleh also said live interview by media outlets would be suspended to be replaced by online interviews. Distribution of newspapers and media publications will be halted too.
The government hoped the public would abide by the full curfew and comply with health authorities’ instructions, foremost staying at home, avoid crowds, physical distancing and the use of masks.
This compliance, said Al-Saleh, would contribute to curbing and ultimately elimination of the virus, which would allow gradual reopening and return of normal life.
Meanwhile, the government assigned the Public investment Authority to hand over Al-Khiran Resort to the Ministry of Health to be used as a field hospital.
It instructed the MoH to hand over the remaining quantity of masks it received from Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the latter would be distributing them to the cooperative societies to be sold by 100 fils per mask.
The government urged all people to wear any type of masks in all public areas., shopping centers and work places.
The MoH will instruct pharmacies to provide masks for the public, said Al-Saleh.
Meanwhile, people who were renting from ministries and government departments will be exempted from payment of the lease during these exceptional times.
The government, on the other hand, thanked the team that accomplished the repatriation plan of Kuwaiti citizens between April 19 and May 6, a plan that was conducted upon instructions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
