Most COVID curbs lifted, gatherings still banned

Most COVID curbs lifted, gatherings still banned

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday decided to mostly return to pre-COVID-19 times, allowing all commercial activities to operate without restrictions as of today, after a significant decline in the number of new coronavirus cases. Government Spokesman Tareq Al-Mazrem said all commercial activities will from today operate as per the decisions and regulations of the Municipality and ministry of commerce and industry, which was the case before the pandemic. This applies to malls, restaurants, cafes, commercial shops and others.

But the Cabinet continued to ban large gatherings including conferences, weddings and other social events, including gatherings at diwaniyas, according to Mazrem. He said people who are vaccinated are allowed to enter all places, but unvaccinated people can only enter pharmacies, cooperative societies, food markets, medical centers and hospitals.

The Cabinet also decided that all activities for children will reopen from September 1. "There has been a relative but comfortable stability in the number of cases and in people being admitted to hospitals" that prompted the decision to reopen the country, Mazrem said.

The health ministry has reported a steady decline in the number of new coronavirus cases for the past two weeks, with numbers dropping below 1,000 cases every day for the past