A trio of cabinet ministers on Saturday monitored safety measures at Kuwait International Airport (KIA) as commercial flights resumed after a brief suspension sparked by fears of importing a new strain of the coronavirus.
The decision to reopen Kuwait’s land and sea borders, in addition to resuming commercial passenger air traffic, was made as more information was collected on the new COVID-19 variant believed to be more transmissible than the initial strain, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh told KUNA.
Several flights carrying nationals stranded abroad because of the airport closure have already been arranged, the minister added, urging his compatriots to get vaccinated against COVID-19, which Kuwait is providing free of charge. Citing “meticulous preparation”, Health Minister Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah said the airport is ready to welcome all arrivals in Kuwait, advising nationals to avoid all “non-essential” overseas travel at this juncture, adding that measures have been taken to curb the potential spread of new COVID-19 strains.
The two ministers, along with Minister of State for Services Affairs Abdullah Marafi, went on to thank all state bodies involved for their commitment towards protecting public health.