Kuwait extends bar on entry to non-citizens indefinitely

Medical personnel and diplomatic corps exempted from ban imposed to contain coronavirus infections

Kuwaiti buildings are illuminated in the colours of the national flag on February 20, 2021, as the country prepares to celebrate their 60th Independence Day and the 30th anniversary of the end of the Show more

Kuwait has extended its bar on entry to non-citizens indefinitely as part of coronavirus containment measures.

The suspension of entry will remain effective for non-Kuwaiti passengers until further notice, the civil aviation authority said.

The ban will not apply to medical personnel from the private and public sector, or to members of the diplomatic corps and their immediate relatives and domestic workers, the Kuwaiti news agency Kuna said.

Citizens are allowed to enter, but they must spend seven days in quarantine at a hotel and another week at home.

The civil aviation authority said no passenger would be accepted on incoming flights to Kuwait without first registering on the government travel platform kuwaitmosafer.gov.kw.

Travel restrictions had been set to ease on Sunday, with plans to allow more travellers to land at Kuwait airport and commercial passenger flights gearing up to to accept non-Kuwaiti citizens.

But restrictions will now remain in place at the borders, which have been closed to most foreign travellers since February 7.

Tourist have not been permitted to travel to the country since March 2020 and visa on arrival facilities are suspended.

Kuwait's ministry of health announced on Saturday 862 new cases, five deaths and 934 recoveries over 24 hours, bringing the total of recovered cases to 171,260.

Kuna added that the percentage of total recoveries from Covid-19 in Kuwait – as of Saturday, was 93.4 per cent.

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