KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Basel Al-Sabah participates in the WHO's 74th World Health Assembly yesterday. - KUNA

KUWAIT: The WHO's 74th World Health Assembly will provide the State of Kuwait with a chance to keenly follow the latest health updates and best strategies to counter disease, namely the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Health Minister Dr Basel Hamoud Al-Sabah said yesterday. Health Minister Dr Basel, who is heading Kuwait's delegation to the virtual meeting until June 1, indicated that the theme of the meeting will be ending the coronavirus pandemic, preventing the next one, in addition building together a healthier, safer and fairer world.

He added that the meeting would touch on the health situation in Palestine and the occupied Golan Heights, the efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) 2030, as well as a variety of important health issues. Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah noted that a celebration will be held on the sideline of the event on May 28 to present Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for Research in Health Care for the Elderly and in Health Promotion to China's National Center of Gerontology.

Ten deaths

Kuwait had on Sunday announced registering 992 new coronavirus infections, 1,166 recoveries and 10 deaths over the previous 24 hours. The new figures increased the death toll to 1,734, overall infections to 299,215 and recoveries to 285,118, Spokesman for the Ministry of Health Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said. The ratio between the total recoveries and infections hit 95.28 percent, he noted.

There were 153 patients at the intensive care units, while 12,363 others are receiving treatment at hospitals as of Sunday, he pointed out .As many as 8,396 medical swabs were conducted in the same period, taking the total tests to 2,525,643, he stated. He noted that the ratio of infections to these swabs reached 11.81 percent.

Dr Sanad renewed public calls to abide by the precautionary measures and social distancing as well as avoid gatherings. He also appealed to the public to follow the officials social media accounts of the ministry and the state's bodies to be briefed on guidelines and recommendations to help control the spread of the pandemic. - KUNA