KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Health said Tuesday 666 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)  in the past 24 hours to increase registered cases to 56,174. Ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said three persons died of the virus, raising the total number of fatalities to 396. He added the new cases were of people who came into close contact with infected persons. Dr Sanad said 421 of the new cases were Kuwaiti citizens (63.21 percent, and 245 non-Kuwaitis (36.79 percent).

Dr Sanad said the cases were recorded in health districts as follows: 199 in Al-Ahmadi, 145 in Al-Jahra, 121 in Farwaniya, 93 in Hawally and 108 in the Capital. Per residential areas, Saad Al-Abdullah recorded the largest number of infections in the past 24 hours with 32, followed by Qairawan with 23, Oyoun with 22, Sabahiya and Fahaheel with 21 each, and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh with 19, Sanad said. The number of cases undergoing treatment at intensive care units reached 156, with the total count of cases that continued to get medical care amounting to 9,617. A total of 25 patients were discharged from quarantines, however they would sequester themselves at their houses for 14 days.

Dr Sanad revealed that more than 3,721 swab tests for the virus were conducted during the past 24 hours, thus the tally of these examinations exceeded 441,143 since breakout of the contagion in the country. He appealed, anew, upon citizens and expatriates to continue taking necessary precautions against the infectious disease, be keen on maintaining social distancing and examining online accounts of relevant authorities to remain acquainted with latest directions in this respect. The Ministry of Health announced earlier that 805 persons recovered from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with the overall count of the recuperated amounting to 46,161. – KUNA