• Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid attends a special National Assembly session to review the government’s measures to control Covid-19 and its emerging strains in the capital, Kuwait City. EPA
    Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid attends a special National Assembly session to review the government’s measures to control Covid-19 and its emerging strains in the capital, Kuwait City. EPA
  • Kuwaiti National Assembly speaker Marzouq Al Ghanim, centre, attends a special National Assembly session in Kuwait City. EPA
    Kuwaiti National Assembly speaker Marzouq Al Ghanim, centre, attends a special National Assembly session in Kuwait City. EPA
  • Minister of Health Dr Bassel Al Sabah held a special session on Tuesday to highlight the importance of taking the vaccine and adhering to social distancing regulations. EPA
    Minister of Health Dr Bassel Al Sabah held a special session on Tuesday to highlight the importance of taking the vaccine and adhering to social distancing regulations. EPA
  • Member of Parliament Bader Al Dahoum, left, speaks at a special National Assembly session in Kuwait City. EPA
    Member of Parliament Bader Al Dahoum, left, speaks at a special National Assembly session in Kuwait City. EPA
  • Kuwaiti MPs attend a special session at the National Assembly headquarters in Kuwait City to review government measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. AFP
    Kuwaiti MPs attend a special session at the National Assembly headquarters in Kuwait City to review government measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. AFP
  • Kuwait announced that non-citizens would be barred from entering the country for two weeks from February 7 and the measure is scheduled to end next week. The nation celebrates its national day at the end of the month.
    Kuwait announced that non-citizens would be barred from entering the country for two weeks from February 7 and the measure is scheduled to end next week. The nation celebrates its national day at the end of the month.
  • Kuwait's National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development will give funding to eligible businesses as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to batter the global economy. AFP
    Kuwait's National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development will give funding to eligible businesses as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to batter the global economy. AFP

Coronavirus: Kuwait to close land and sea borders


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Kuwait will close its land and sea border crossings from Wednesday until March 20, the country's Cabinet announced on Tuesday.

Citizens and domestic workers accompanying them are allowed to return through land and seaports, as are citizens' first-degree relatives, the cabinet added.

The changes followed a rise in coronavirus cases in Kuwait.

The country has registered 899 new cases and 5 new deaths, with 149 serious cases admitted to ICU on Monday.

The border closure will be accompanied by a series of other measures, including banning seated dining in restaurants, reducing the number of people allowed on public transport and in government workplaces to 30 per cent. Private workplaces are restricted to 50 per cent capacity.

To ensure quarantine is correctly carried out, the committee also created a sister committee headed by the Ministry of Interior, made up of one member from every ministry to keep track of arrivals.