Tue, Mar 10 - 2020
News Summary Report
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Kuwait Affirms Keenness on INSSP – Official
The State of Kuwait affirmed on Monday keenness on the implementation of the Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan (INSSP).
This came in Kuwait’s speech during the opening of the work of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to discuss the third item (review of nuclear safety for 2020), delivered by the Kuwaiti Ambassador of Austria and its permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Sadiq Marafi.
Ambassador Marafi said that Kuwait’s government has given special attention to nuclear security and safety, noting that it will use this framework to open several areas of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the countries of the region, especially the GCC countries.
He noted that the areas of cooperation aim to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework for the safety and security of radioactive materials, to establish appropriate infrastructure and national capacity to ensure the security of facilities and accommodation for radioactive materials.
The Ambassador pointed out that the INSSP is a valuable addition to the public security system in the country through its role in strengthening institutional, human and technical capabilities in various aspects of nuclear security, including monitoring and securing radioactive sources, the national response plan and illicit traffic.
KUNA
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ECONOMY
Kuwait Oil Prices Plummets $ 15.56 to $ 34.26 pb – KPC
Kuwait oil prices plummeted by $ 15.56 per barrel on Monday to $ 34.26 pb compared to last Friday’s $ 49.82 pb closing, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Tuesday.
Prices of crude oil around the world suffered a major setback with major procedures flooding the market with oil, thus pushing prices down the slope. The 25-nosedive was coupled with plunging stock markets triggered by the spread of the coronavirus.
Saudi Arabia and Russia announced an increase in production early next week after OPEC and non-OPEC countries failed to approve additional oil cuts to address declining prices.
Brent benchmark futures dropped $ 10.91 pb, or 24.1 %, to $ 34.36 pb, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost 24.6%, or $ 10.15 pb to $ 31.13 pb.
This is the largest drop since January 17, 1991, war of liberation of Kuwait when oil prices lost a third of their value.
KUNA
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
Kuwait Registers New COVID-19 Case to Raise Tally to 65 – Spokesman Kuwait, March 09 (KUNA) – State of Kuwait “respects” decisions by some countries to ban entry of Kuwaiti citizens due to the spread of coronavirus, Ministry of Health (MOH) said Monday, as the country registered a new case to raise COVID-19 infected individuals to 65.
MOH Spokesman, Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad, at his daily press briefing at the ministry building said the new case was one of those people returning from Iran.
All Coronavirus infected people are being treated in hospital, said Al-Sanad, while three patients were placed in the intensive care unit, one in critical condition.
He reaffirmed that a medical team was taking care of all 906 people placed in quarantine. Meanwhile, Al-Sanad said Kuwait respected decisions by some countries to ban entry of Kuwaiti citizens.
“We respect decisions by these countries to safeguard their safety and well-being of its citizens”, he said.
The MOH, added Al-Sanad, was following all medical measures to safeguard wellbeing of citizens and expatriates, therefore understood measures by other countries, which were in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines.
KUNA
Kuwait Allows Work Permits, Residences’ Renewal of Employees While Abroad
Kuwait Ministry of Interior (MOI) said Monday it would facilitate renewal of work permits and residences of employees in the private sector while abroad due to spread of coronavirus.
Employers should take a work permit from the Public Authority of Manpower and then renew the residency at MOI’s Immigration Department, the ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Residency Affairs Major General Talal Marafi said in a statement.
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Marafi said residencies of the employee’s family who were inside Kuwait could be renewed as well.
Visits are extended for two months, explained Marafi. The official said employers of domestic workers could also renew their residencies even if they were in their home countries.
He said these measures were applied on citizens of India, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Thailand, Italy, Japan, Singapore and the Democratic Republic of Korea.
KUNA
Kuwaiti Cabinet Restricts Public Gatherings to Contain COVID-19
The Kuwaiti Cabinet, in its weekly meeting on Monday, has taken a series of measures to limit public gatherings to help stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Cabinet, which held its meeting at Al-Saif Palace under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, extended closures of all educational institutions in the country for additional two weeks, ending March 26, ordered shutting down of cinemas, theaters and wedding halls, as well as suspension of all sports events until further notice.
In a statement following the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Anas Al-Saleh pointed out that the Cabinet listened to a briefing from Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basel Humoud Al-Sabah, who leads the interagency taskforce on COVID-19, on the latest figures of global outbreak of the epidemic and the related reports on its impact worldwide as well as Kuwait’s efforts to control the spread of the virus and offer treatment to the infected people.
He added that the cabinet has reviewed the recommendations presented by the ministerial committee spearheading the state efforts to counter the new coronavirus and decided the following: 1) Extending closure of all schools, universities: government and private colleges and military colleges as well as the educational centers of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs for an additional two weeks and assigning the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education to prepare plans for dealing with future scenarios and
repercussions of the current suspension and to come up alternatives to traditional educational processes, tests and procedures.
2) Instructing concerned authorities to close all cinemas and theaters, as well as public and private wedding halls and ban setting up makeshift wedding reception tests until further notice.
3) Calling on sports federations to halt sports activities and friendly matches until further notice.
4) Assigning the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, to stop issuing all types of entry visas and confine visa issuing to the Kuwaiti diplomatic missions abroad.
5) Assigning the Ministry of Finance to allow the Ministry of Health to use the Kuwait International Fairground as a medical examination center.
6) Assigning Kuwait Municipality in coordination with the Ministry of Health to consider setting rules to funeral ceremonies to be in line with the health guidelines to control spread of infection.
7) Obliging all government agencies to make sure that Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti employees, placed in quarantine or ordered to stay at home, will not be allowed to go to work before the end of their quarantine period.
8) Issuing the necessary guidelines from the Ministry of Health to regulate the entry of returnees from different countries according to the following categories:
- Returnees who will be subject to compulsory quarantine for a period of 14 days and will be ordered to implement instructions of the health ministry and call the hotline 24970967 in case of observing any of coronavirus symptoms.
- Returnees, who will be under health observation, which includes providing them with instructions and guidelines, and advise them to isolate themselves for a period of 14 days except in cases of necessity, avoid gatherings and call the hotline 24970967 if they observed any of coronavirus symptoms.
The Cabinet has called on all citizens and residents to take all precautions and strictly adhere to the health instructions and guidelines that are constantly announced in all official media outlets in order to preserve their health and safety.
It urged all ministries and relevant authorities to continue to take all precautionary
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The cabinet emphasized that the government sticks to transparency in everything related to new coronavirus outbreak. It therefore urged everyone not to pay attention to rumors and to seek information from the state official sources.
KUNA
Kuwait Extends School Closure Until March 26 – Spokesman
Kuwait’s Cabinet has decided to keep schools closed until March 26, said the government’s official spokesman Tareq Al-Merzem, amid a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.
The extension will come into effect on March 15 until March 26, he added, describing the measure as a safety precaution given the spread of the contagion.
The tally of Coronavirus infections in Kuwait currently stands at 65 after an additional case was reported on Monday.
KUNA
MPs, Government Meet on Coronavirus Tues.
National Assembly Speaker Marzqouq Al-Ghanim said Monday assemblymen and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah as well as ministers concerned will meet on the coronavirus situation on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at parliament, the Speaker said during the meeting, the ministers will brief the assembly on government measures to stave off a coronavirus outbreak in the country.
He emphasized that relevant World Health Organizations (WHO) instructions should be observed, echoing utter backing to the Ministry of Health and other state agencies entrusted with controlling the deadly virus-related situation.
“ Tomorrow will be a good opportunity to get replies on parliament queries (about response to Coronavirus”, the speaker added.
KUNA
Sources:
KUNA: http://www.kuna.net.kw/Default.aspx?language=en
Al Rai: http://www.alraimedia.com/
Kuwait Times: http://www.news.kuwaittimes.net/website/
Arab Times: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/
MEED: http://www.meed.com/
Al Anbaa: http://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper
Al-Seyassa : http://al-seyassah.com/
Al-Anbaa: https://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper/
Al-Jareeda: http://www.aljarida.com/
