Coronavirus: Kuwait to receive first vaccine shipment, says border still closed

Kuwait is set to receive the first shipment of a coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, the country’s Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Tuesday, adding that a vaccination campaign will begin at the end of the week.

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The campaign will be divided into four stages with medical professionals being prioritized first, as well as people above the age of 65 and frontline workers. The other three stages will include the general public, according to the ministry.

So far, 73,700 people have registered to receive the vaccine, with hundreds more expected to register in the coming days, Minister of Health Dr. Basel al-Sabah said.

The ministry is prepared to vaccinate a large number of the community, he added.

Commercial flights continue to be halted

The minister denied reports that Kuwait would be reopening its air and land borders for just 24 hours to allow stranded citizens abroad to enter the country.

Expatriates, arriving to Kuwait, stand a safe distance apart to give their details to ministry of health officials in a makeshift coronavirus testing centre. (File photo: Reuters)

Authorities had announced on Monday evening that all flights would be suspended from 11 p.m. until January 1, 2021 to prevent the spread of the new mutated strain of the coronavirus.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia also halted international flights and suspended entry through its land and seaports for at least a week, after the fast-spreading strain of coronavirus appeared in Britain.

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Kuwait to reopen air, land borders for a day for stranded citizens

Coronavirus: Kuwait to close borders, suspend international flights until Jan. 1