By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday decided to allow domestic helpers to start returning to the country from Dec 7, according to government spokesman Tareq Al-Mazrem. He added the Cabinet set the cost of each returning maid at KD 270 to cover quarantine expenses. The amount does not include airfare, Mazrem said.

Health Minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah told the Council of Ministers that the number of new coronavirus cases has dropped significantly over the past week and the recovery rate has soared. The minister said the recovery rate has increased to a massive 95.8 percent as the number of patients in intensive care units and deaths dived during the past week.

The ministry of health yesterday reported just 209 new cases, two deaths and the recovery of 658 patients. The number of cases in intensive care also dropped to only 84. The previous day, the ministry reported 231 cases and three deaths, while as many as 524 patients recovered.

The drop in the number of coronavirus cases comes ahead of the weekend's general elections. Authorities have taken strict precautionary measures to prevent a new outbreak. The Cabinet decided during its meeting yesterday to allocate a school in every electoral constituency for people infected with the coronavirus to vote.