News Summary Report Wed, May 19, 2021
Korea-Kuwait Relations
A Korean Company Supplies Kuwait with COVID-19 Diagnostic Kit Worth Over $ 4.8m
Zawya website reported that the South Korean Seegene Company, which is specialized in molecular diagnostics has made an exclusive deal with the Ministry of Health to provide the ministry with COVID-19 diagnosis devices with a value above $ 4.8 million. This deal is done as part of the company’s pursuits to expand its global footprint as it secures public procurement deals in Italy, Scotland, Germany, and the Middle East.
The company's local subsidiary 'Seegene MIDDLE EAST,' said on May 16 (local time), it has signed the exclusive supply agreement with the Ministry of Health of Kuwait. The supply agreement is the largest volume procured by the Kuwaiti government since Seegene started supplying diagnostic tests to the country last year. The agreement implies that the South Korean biotechnology firm, Seegene, has the upper hand over global competitors, given that the Kuwaiti government had been supplied with diagnostic tests from one of global molecular diagnostics companies until last year.
As per the agreement, Seegene Middle East will supply Allplex TM 2- SARS-COV to five MOH labs for five months starting this month of May, 2021.
Under the agreement, Seegene MIDDLE EAST will be supplying the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay, to five laboratories under the MOH for five months starting May. The $4.8 million deal is worth six to seven times larger than that of the company's previous exports to Kuwait in the last two quarters.
Although the number of COVID-19 cases in the country showed a downtrend at the beginning of the year thanks to the state-run mass vaccination program that started last December, there has been a resurgence of infections due to the emergence of COVID-19 variants. According to 'Worldometer', on May 17, Kuwait reported 828 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the country to 291,629.
Seegene's AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay is a multiplex real-time PCR assay capable of detecting five targets including four coronavirus genes (E, RdRP, N and S gene) and an exogenous control in a single reaction, allowing highly accurate results and maximize throughput for high volume testing. Also, the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay can identify more targets than major competitors' products so that it can detect new COVID-19 variants. As the product can be processed without the need of extraction, it is expected to
improve overall process efficiency allowing more COVID-19 tests, especially in the time where there is a shortage of extraction equipment.
Al-Anbaa
External Affairs
Kuwait Defense Minister Inquires About Troops in S. Arabia
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah on Tuesday inquired in an audio-visual contact about status of the Kuwaiti forces partaking in the “Operation Restore Hope” in Saudi Arabia and Kuwaiti Army personnel in the joint forces in Bahrain.
The kingdom security has remained inseparable from security and stability of the State of Kuwait, Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber stated, according to a Kuwaiti Army statement, noting that he conveyed greetings from their Highness the Amir and the Crown Prince to the Kuwaiti forces.
The Kuwaiti military forces have always supported the armed forces in the other GCC countries, the Kuwaiti defense minister affirmed.
The audio-visual contact was attended by the Kuwait Army Chief of staff, Lieutenant General Khaled Saleh Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Fahad Al-Nasser and a number of senior military commanders.
Later on, the minister met a number of ranking officers, expressing belated congratulations in Eid Al-Fitr and lauding the personnel for their dedication for serving the homeland.
KUNA
Kuwait Condemns Lebanese FM’s Gross Slanders Against GCC States, Peoples
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed strong condemnation and denunciation of the gravely abusive remarks of the Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and their peoples.
In a statement, the ministry said that Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Majdi Al-Thufairi summoned today the charge d’affairs of the Lebanese embassy in Kuwait Hadi Hashim and handed him an official protest note including Kuwait’s condemnation and denunciation of the Lebanese minister offenses, which contradict the sisterly relations between Lebanon and GCC states.
KUNA
Direct flights begin to ‘banned’ nations
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved the resumption of direct outgoing flights to five banned countries – India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from Tuesday, May 18, but decided to continue to ban on incoming passenger flights from these five countries, reports Al-Anba daily.
According to reliable sources, the approval was issued to facilitate the travel of residents of these nationalities, which was hindered due to the decision to suspend commercial flights to those countries. Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways, in addition to the airlines of those countries, will operate the flights.
DGCA is currently awaiting the issuance of new directives from the Cabinet regarding the removal of some countries from the list of banned countries, in preparation for the resumption of direct flights to them.
The sources chose not to disclose the names of those countries until an official decision is issued regarding them. They said DGCA recently discussed the resumption of flights during the summer season to new destinations in Turkey, such as Bodrum and Trabzon, as well as flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. They indicated that the flight movements to most of these destinations will be implemented as of June after obtaining the official approvals, adding that some of them will resume during the current month. Regarding the implementation of the decision to increase the number of passengers coming to the country from May 22, the sources said DGCA is still working on determining the number of passengers on each incoming flight, taking into account the removal of any country from the list of banned countries, where the travel density increases, knowing that the trips of domestic workers are excluded from that number. Meanwhile, even though some government agencies have started depositing bonuses for excellent performance into the accounts of their employees, these bonuses contribute to a legal and administrative crisis in some government agencies, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting informed sources.
They indicated that they expect the mechanism for disbursing excellent performance bonuses in some government agencies, which decided not to disburse them to those exempted from work due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, will create problems. The sources explained that some government agencies have already started depositing the bonuses in the bank accounts of their employees except for those exempted based on the decision issued by these authorities. Some parties may enter into the cycle of grievances and administrative complaints because of these bonuses, based on the guidelines issued by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) regarding the policies, procedures and rules for gradual return to work in government agencies. CSC had specified the mechanism of flexible working hours in the authorities, according to the stages of the plan for return to normal life, as specified in the categories of those exempted from working hours.
The guide explicitly states that, “The exemption does not cancel any financial or administrative benefits for employees, as exemption days are considered as actual working days.” The decisions to exclude those exempted from the payment of bonuses issued by some parties bear the suspicion of a legal
violation, as they are retroactive. The sources indicated that most of these bodies asked CSC about the possibility of canceling the bonuses for those exempted from work.
Arab Times
Domestic Affairs
Kuwait Cabinet Approves Urgent Relief Aid to Palestinians
The Kuwaiti Cabinet on Tuesday decided to provide urgent relief assistance to the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza strip that have been attacked by the Israeli occupation forces for some days.
The Cabinet also expressed Kuwait’s condemnation and denunciation of the criminal acts of the Israeli occupation authorities against the brotherly Palestinian people in Gaza that left dozens of people dead and wounded, said Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah in a statement issued by the Cabinet following the meeting.
The Cabinet’s weekly meeting held today under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Seif Palace.
These heinous practices are a flagrant challenge to all international charters and norms, the Cabinet said, adding that the acts also undermine all sincere international efforts aiming to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region.
They will lead to further tension, violence and instability in the region, the Cabinet stated, calling on the international community to take an immediate and serious action to press Israel to stop these practices and bloodshed as well as end this disastrous reality and sufferings of the Palestinian people in a way that ensures their full legitimate rights.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet listened to a presentation by the Foreign Minister on outcomes of the tour he made to Maghreb countries and Spain.
During the tour, the minister delivered letters from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the leaders of those countries extolling the deep-rooted and historical ties with them.
Furthermore, the minister informed the Cabinet about the gist of talks with his counterparts on developing bilateral relations and coordinating efforts relating to regional and Arab issues of common concern.
In addition, Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad briefed the ministers on the outcomes of his participation, as representative of His Highness the Amir, in the international conference on backing Sudan’s democratic transition held in Paris on Monday.
The conference aimed at supporting the democratic transition process in that Arab country to help it revive its economy and facilitate its integration into global economy.
The minister also informed the Cabinet about communications with his counterparts of regional, international and Arab countries as well as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chiefs.
Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohmmad apprised the ministers of his participation in all meetings on the Israeli occupation forces’ attacks on Gaza.
He pointed to a consensus on taking a necessary international serious action to halt the criminal violence acts committed by the Israeli occupation forces on the Strip.
The Cabinet thanked the minster for his outstanding role in serving the homeland. Finally, the Cabinet discussed the political affairs in light of the latest developments on the political arena on both Arab and international levels.
KUNA
Kuwait Lists 1,084 New COVID-19 Cases, Five Deaths
Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has announced recording 1,084 new coronavirus infections and five related deaths in the past 24 hours. The new figures took the total cases in the country up to 293,574 and deaths to 1,701 respectively, noted the ministry’s spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad in statements to KUNA on Tuesday.
He pointed out that some 1,100 more people had been cured of the virus over the past day, raising the total of those who have overcome the disease to 279,924.
He added that the number of people hospitalized with the virus currently stands at 11,949, with 182 of them in intensive care units.
Al-Sanad revealed that some 9,635 swab tests were conducted over the last day, bringing the total to 2,477, 308.
He renewed calls for nationals and expatriates alike to abide by health precautions to curb the spread of the virus.
KUNA
Kuwait Allows Entry into Eateries
The Kuwaiti Cabinet decided on Tuesday to allow restaurants and cafes to receive people for dine-in orders with the implementing of health safety precautions.
The decision will take effect on Sunday, May 23 according to a statement by the Center for Government Communication on Twitter.
KUNA
Inauguration of Sheikh Jaber Causeway Drive-Thru Vaccination Center Next Week
Al-Jareeda has been informed by its sources that the Ministry of Health will inaugurate Sheikh Jaber Causeway Drive-Thru Vaccination Center next week.
Sources said that inauguration of this center, which lies at the Southern island of Sheikh Jaber Causeway, is part of the ministry’s plan to expedite vaccination process in order to reach herd immunity and to normalcy.
Sources estimated that the center could accommodate 5000 citizens on a daily basis, 10 hours a day. Sources pointed out that the last period has seen a persistent movement to complete furnishing of the center by all stakeholders, including the oil sector which supervises furnishing or the ministry of electricity or other entities. The last few weeks have seen installation of vaccination cabins, and determination of trajectories of vehicles.
Sources pointed out that the center consists of 10 points for dedicated trajectories for vehicle drivers, who are desirous to be vaccinated. Each point has two cabins with a total of 20 cabins that accommodate 80 vehicles simultaneously so that vaccination of all people inside each vehicle in 3 minutes maximum.
Sources indicated that the MOH will send text messages for those desirous to be vaccinated at the location of the Southern island at Sheikh Jaber Causeway within days.
Al-Jareeda
The Ministers’ Court Rejects Release of Jaber Al-Mubarak and Khaled Al-Jarrah
The Ministers’ Court rejected yesterday release of the ex-Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak and ex-Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah.
However, it decided to release one of the suspect officers in the lawsuit known as “the Army’s Fund”.
The court decided after its session yesterday to delay the lawsuit into the session of May 25 to resume trail.
Al-Qabas
New batch of ‘Oxford’ here: MoH
Despite the recent increase in the daily vaccination rate in the country, the scarcity of ‘Oxford’ vaccine has been a major cause for concern for the health authorities in the country, after a large number of citizens and residents who should have received their second dose after waiting for more than three months and took to ‘#Win_My_Dose’ to demand their right to complete the vaccination. In an official statement in response to the hashtag, the Ministry of
Health confirmed it has received the third batch of Oxford vaccines from a local agent this month and the vaccines have been sent for analysis and laboratory tests to ensure their safety and to ensure the vaccines were shipped and transported taking into account all procedures in the interest of everyone’s health.
The ministry said confirmed sending text messages with the dates to receive the second dose which does not exceed 4 months between the two doses. The ministry added the four-month extension of the time period between the two doses for the Oxford vaccine has occurred in many countries, including Canada, Turkey, Spain, France, Denmark and others, noting that studies have shown that the acquired immunity after the first dose of the Oxford vaccine remains high for a period of up to 4 months, but in order for the immunity to remain effective, it must be supplemented with the second dose.
The Ministry of Health affirmed it will not hesitate to do everything to ensure the health and safety of everyone, and it appreciates everyone’s understanding of all international developments regarding the manufacture and production of Covid-19 vaccines and ensuring continued supplies to countries of the world, and the conditions affecting a large number of countries in the world and countries in the region including Kuwait. On the other hand, a number of doctors have confirmed that the efficiency of the first dose of the Oxford vaccine begins to gradually decrease after more than 12 weeks of receiving the first dose, according to studies conducted by the University of Oxford in this regard.
The doctors on their personal Twitter accounts posted the recent recommendations of the vaccination committee in the UK, which indicated the need to advance the date of the second dose of the Oxford vaccine to be after 8 weeks instead of 12 weeks, for those over the age of 50 years and for patients with chronic diseases as well, and to speed up the pace vaccination to reduce the spread and the possibility of the emergence of mutations resulting from the large number of infection transmission.
Arab Times
Economy Kuwait Oil Price Up $ 1.85 to $ 68.54 pb
The price of Kuwaiti oil went up by $ 1.85 to $ 68.54 per barrel on Monday, as opposed to $ 66.69 pb Friday, said the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Tuesday.
Globally, the Brent crude and the West Texas Intermediate followed an upward trend, going up by 75 and 90 cents respectively to $ 69.46 and $ 66.27 per barrel.
KUNA
Limited Income Citizens Will be Intact: Hamada
- No Tendency to Impose Direct Taxes on Citizens or Their Income, - KD 270m is the total claims by the ministry for third parties since April
2013
Minister of Finance and State Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment Khalifa Hamada reiterated that limited and medium income citizens will not be affected by any economic reform plans. The government has no tendency to impose direct taxes on citizens or on their income, and consequently, this category will not be affected by any government procedures related to reform, he added.
The Government work program, which has been referred to the National Assembly, includes an economic reform plan that is based on implementing sustainability program and restructuring of the public sector, development of human capital, improvement of the infrastructure and employment of renewable energies, he said in response to a question of MP Khalil Al-Saleh.
Meanwhile, Hamada disclosed that the value of tax claims that are due for the ministry from third parties reach KD 270 million since April 2013 till May 2021. This is in addition to KD 585 million, which is the total due amounts to authorities, ministries, government and private companies and individuals, KD 419 out of which are debts for family fund and defaulters’ fund.
Meanwhile, MP Ahmad Al-Hamad, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Panel at the Parliament said that the panel will hold a meeting next Sunday to discuss a bill for issuing the credit plan for the years 2020 – 2025, which is submitted by the Government in addition to a bill regarding Sukuk that is submitted by the Government.
Al-Jareeda
