Kuwait will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks from February 7 after an increase in coronavirus cases, while neighbouring Saudi Arabia suspended entertainment activities and dine-in services at restaurants.
The Kuwait Cabinet said first-degree relatives, such as parents and children, and accompanying domestic workers would be exempt from the entry ban, and that all those arriving in the country would have to quarantine, according to a statement on Wednesday.
It ordered the closure of gyms and salons and asked other commercial businesses to cease operating at 8pm, with the exception of pharmacies, supermarkets and other food retailers.
Kuwait on Wednesday registered 756 new Covid-19 cases. This after daily infections fell below 300 late last year from a peak of more than 1,000 in May.
Other Gulf Arab states also introduced new restrictions to curb a recent rise in infections in the oil-producing region.
Saudi Arabia this week suspended entry to the kingdom from 20 countries, with the exception of Saudi citizens, diplomats and medical practitioners and their families.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said in on Thursday that entertainment activities and events as well as in-restaurant dining would be suspended for 10 days.
The kingdom, the largest of the six Gulf states and the Arab world's biggest economy, on Wednesday recorded 306 new coronavirus cases. Daily infections fell from a peak above 4,000 in June to below the 100 mark in early January.
