Kuwait Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah Thursday attributed the large rise of Covid-19 infections among Kuwaitis to failure to comply with health instructions, which caused the extension of the first phase of a plan to gradually restore normal life. “We have reached the end of the first phase and we are supposed to move to the second phase, but there has been a big rise in infections among Kuwaitis which occurred due to failure to abide by health instructions,” Sheikh Basel told an online news conference following a cabinet meeting.
He said many elderly were infected with the virus even though they did not leave their homes, and some of them were in the intensive care units. Sheikh Basel said family gatherings, no physical distancing and failure to implement hygienic rules contributed to the rise of Kuwaiti cases. “We don’t want things to be out of control,” he warned. “We are capable of controlling the pandemic and we don’t want the pandemic to control us,” he said. “Moving to the second phase requires compliance with health instructions,” said the minister.