Coronavirus: Kuwait to allow restaurants, some business to reopen on August 18

Kuwait will allow restaurants, cafes, and some business to reopen on August 18 after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Thursday.

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The decision to resume the operation of some business comes under phase four of the country’s coronavirus restart plan, KUNA cited a health official as saying.

Gyms, stadiums, barbershops, beauty salons, health resorts, and tailors will reopen on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health’s Acting Undersecretary Abdulrahman al-Mutairi said at a press conference on Thursday evening.

A Kuwaiti security staff checks a visitor's temperature at the entrance of the re-opened 360 Mall in the capital Kuwait City. (AFP)

Restaurants and cafes can now seat customers given that they enforce social distancing measures inside their establishments, he added. Individuals had previously only been allowed to buy takeaway orders or order online for delivery.

Government offices and privately-owned establishments can now allow 50 percent of their workforce to return to work, al-Mutairi said.

Citizens and residents are urged to follow precautionary measures, al-Mutairi said, citing non-compliance with health guidelines as the reason why Kuwait continues to report 600-700 new cases a day.

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