By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Ministry of Health (MOH) Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha adjusted hospital visiting hours to cope with the current circumstances and the precautionary measures followed to limit the spread of COVID-19. According to the decision Redha issued, hospital visiting hours will be from 1 to 3 pm according to the same related regulations in order to ensure patients' safety and cope with the current health situation.

Curfew passes
Kuwait National Petroleum Company's (KNPC) fire and safety manager Abdullah Mohammed Al-Ajmi said that in view of the Cabinet's decision to impose a partial daily curfew from 5 pm till 4 am until further notice, company employees and contractors will be allowed to move around during curfew hours using special curfew passes. Ajmi also issued a directive urging all employees to fully abide by Ministry of Interior (MoI) regulations in this regard to avoid penal measures set by MoI for violators.

Home delivery
Chairman of Kuwait Union for Consumer Cooperative Societies (KUCCS) Meshaal Al-Sayyar announced that all co-ops had been instructed to follow special work timings during the current partial curfew hours, noting that subsidized ration branches will be open from 8 am till 4 pm Saturday to Thursday (Fridays off), and that all supermarkets and their branches will be open only till 4 pm and closed during curfew hours.

Sayyar added home delivery services have been activated around the clock using volunteers from the area's residents and that co-op managers will be responsible for organizing work and submitting official letters to MoI including the names of executives and other workers who will be working during curfew hours so that special curfew passes could be made for them.

Sayyar said delivery services will only use K-Net payments and advised consumers to rationalize their purchases of basic goods. He also noted that security officers will continue working 24/7 and that restaurants will continue working behind closed doors during curfew hours to provide delivery services without allowing customers in.

Sayyar said according to the decision, co-ops will be able to keep staff members inside closed supermarkets during curfew hours so that they can restock shelves and receive goods, provided their names are provided to MoI to issue curfew passes for them. "This decision is the result of several meetings held with relevant bodies in relation to the current circumstances and the curfew.

It is also a continuation of our previous directive issued on March 21 on regulations various co-ops should strictly follow until further notice," Sayyar concluded, noting that special teams will tour co-ops to make sure it is fully implemented.