Kuwait orders all cafes to close to stem coronavirus spread

Visits to cemeteries banned, funerals limited to family-only

Closure applies to cafes in markets, shopping malls, fuel stations and rest stations on highways.

Kuwait has ordered the closure of all cafes across the country.

It comes as the country confirmed a further 20 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number to 255.

Kuwait Municipality director general Ahmad Al-Manfouhi said the decision applied to cafes in markets, shopping malls, fuel stations and rest stations on highways.

Delivery services outwith the current curfew hours (5am to 7pm) are still permitted.

The curfew was introduced earlier this month and anyone caught breaking it faces up to three years in jail and a fine of up to KD10,000 ($32,000).

Meanwhile, the director general of funerals’ affairs, Dr. Faisal Al-Awadhi, has banned visits to cemeteries and declared that only relatives of the deceased are allowed to be present at funerals.

The municipality has also set burial times from 8am to 3pm and stressed that the corpse must be buried “instantly”.

Meanwhile, a plane carrying Kuwaiti repatriates, arrived in the country on Saturday from New York, as part of the state’s “air bridge” operation to bring home nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus’ spread.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on its official Twitter account that the latest incoming flight was organised as part of phase one of the operation, carried out in coordination with the ministries of foreign affairs, interior, health, customs and fire departments as well as Kuwait Airways.

On Friday Kuwait International Airport received three planeloads of Kuwaiti returnees; one from Spain, the other from Britain and the third from Italy.

Last Thursday, there were three flights; one from Germany, the other from Britain and another from Abu Dhabi, the UAE, a day after the arrival of three planes from Lebanon, Egypt and Bahrain.

The first phase of the operation to bring back Kuwaiti citizens kicked off last Wednesday and will end on Sunday.

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