By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The Council of Ministers yesterday effectively lifted all measures that were imposed to contain the coronavirus disease - making wearing face masks anywhere optional and removing vaccination certificates and PCR tests as conditions to enter Kuwait, the government spokesman said. Tareq Al-Mazrem said in a statement that the Cabinet decided during an extraordinary meeting to allow all individuals to enter all closed public places without the need for vaccination or a PCR test.

The Cabinet decided to abolish all decisions and regulations that had been imposed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease. Wearing of masks is compulsory only for people who show symptoms of the disease, Mazrem said. People arriving from outside Kuwait are not required to show a PCR test or a vaccination certificate as unvaccinated people can freely enter the country, the Cabinet said.

Unvaccinated people are no longer required to carry out a PCR test as a condition to enter educational establishments and places of work, according to the cabinet decisions which become officially effective on Sunday. The Cabinet also abolished the need to undergo quarantine for people who had come in contact with infected cases regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. Such people need only to wear masks for 14 days from the day of the contact. People who have come in contact with infected cases need to carry out a PCR test only if they show some symptoms within 14 days, Mazrem said.

Infected people are required to undergo house quarantine for five days only and then wear face masks for another five days, as per the new cabinet decisions. The Cabinet also decided to allow unvaccinated people to fully attend all types of games. The Cabinet urged people who go to mosques for prayers to observe health conditions like bringing their own mats but are no longer required to wear the face mask.