KUWAIT: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infected 582 people in Kuwait during the past 24 hours, official spokesperson of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced yesterday. Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad, speaking during his daily update about the pandemic status locally, said the total number of infection cases with the contagion climbed to 45,524.

Moreover, the virus claimed the lives of two persons during the same period of time, raising the total tally of deaths from the fatal pathogen to 350. The confirmed cases included patients who had contracted the virus due to mingling with infected persons. Others remained under examination to determine the source of the contamination. The latest infections include 319 Kuwaiti citizens and 263 non-Kuwaiti residents of the country, he said.

Dr Sanad said the cases were recorded in health districts as follows: 158 in Al-Ahmadi, 136 in Al-Jahra, 115 in Farwaniya, 88 in Hawally and 85 in the Capital. The number of cases undergoing treatment at intensive care units reached 145, with the total count of cases that continued to get medical care amounting to 8,861. Up to 70 patients were discharged from quarantines however they would sequester themselves at their houses for 14 days.

Dr Sanad revealed that more than 3,504 swab tests for the virus were conducted during the past 24 hours, thus the tally of these examinations exceeded 382,842 since breakout of the contagion in the country, months ago. 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 Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced earlier yesterday that 819 persons recovered from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with the overall count of the recuperated amounting to 36,313. —KUNA