All arrivals to the country will have to pay for institutional quarantine at local hotels for 7 days starting February 21, by registering on the Kuwait Mosafer app, but can complete the remaining 7 more days of the prescribed 14 days quarantine period at home, Al Qabas reported.
Another condition that will be a travel requirement starting from February 21 is that all departing passengers, both citizens and expats, should have a hotel booking for a seven-day stay for institutional quarantine after their return. All passengers departing from Kuwait, whether they have a round-trip ticket or even a one-way ticket are expected to adhere to this rule.
The passenger may be unsure of the exact return date, however, the hotel booking is still a must. The booking can be changed at a later date to correspond with the return date. This rule is not applicable for expats who have cancelled their residency in Kuwait before their final departure from the country for good.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) spokesperson, Saad Al-Otaibi, said that no citizen or expat can depart from the country except after booking and selecting the institutional quarantine hotel online and paying the costs in full. He added, “the money is not refundable. The traveler will have to pay the costs before travel for the institutional quarantine period set for 7 continuous days.”
With regards to arrivals to the country for the first time, Al-Otaibi said: “First-time arrivals must book a hotel through the Kuwait Traveler platform before they reach the country for the institutional quarantine period.”
Airlines will be entrusted with making sure that arrivals adhere to travel requirements, whether for conducting a PCR test or going for institutional quarantine in hotels.
On the health regulations to be followed for those placed in hotel quarantine, Al-Otaibi stated that health requirements for those quarantined will be the responsibility of the hotels, as there will be designated spots for people in each hotel for incoming travelers, and meals will be provided to them in closed boxes to prevent the transmission of the Coronavirus.
Regarding hotel prices and their costs, Al-Otaibi replied that varied prices will be available to all, but no specific price has been agreed upon. Rather, the traveller can choose the hotel and the price within their budget for their institutional quarantine, as 3, 4 and 5-star hotels will be available in all comers to the country.
On groups that will be excluded from institutional quarantine, whether the sick or the elderly, Al-Otaibi stated that such patients will be transferred to hospitals and will not be quarantined, though he is still looking to exclude the elderly from the institutional quarantine.
Regulations for institutional quarantine in hotels
1- Institutional quarantine is imposed on citizens and expats.
2- Airlines verify travelers’ reservations for hotels.
3- The traveler has the freedom to choose the hotel according to his capabilities.
4- Providing the opportunity for all hotels in the country to benefit from the institutional quarantine.
5- Each hotel will allocate floors for the quarantined for a week.
6- After the institutional quarantine period ends, the person completes the remaining quarantine days at home.
7- The hotel will ensure that packaged meals are provided to those quarantined to prevent infection with the virus.
8- Hotel costs are not refundable, and the traveller will have to pay before traveling to Kuwait.
9 -Health requirements for the quarantined will be the responsibility of hotels.