KUWAIT: The Cabinet decided late Monday to shut down all activities for children indefinitely from July 25 on recommendations by the ministerial committee overseeing the coronavirus pandemic. The Cabinet decided to "close all activities for children including summer clubs from Sunday, July 25 until further notice" read a statement issued following the Cabinet's weekly meeting.

The Cabinet also asked the ministry of defense and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to offer their hospitals to the country's health system after a sharp increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. Kuwait has seen a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths despite vaccinating hundreds of thousands of people.

The ministry of health has reported well over 1,400 new cases daily for the past several weeks and also reported a significant increase in the number of deaths, patients receiving treatment at hospitals and patients in intensive care units. The ministry on Monday reported 1,694 new cases and as many as 19 deaths, all of whom had not received any vaccination. The rate of infection remains high at 11.74 percent when it should be below 5 percent.

The ministry said 1,175 people infected with the coronavirus are receiving treatment at hospitals, while as many as 331 patients are in intensive care units. The largest number of cases were reported in Ahmadi governorate with 30 percent, followed by Farwaniya and Hawally governorates with 24 percent each. Jahra came in fourth place with 12 percent and the Capital governorate came in last place with 10 percent.

The Cabinet called on the public to continue their cooperation by complying with health precautions and to register with the national vaccination program in a bid to reach immunity levels in the society which will result in reducing pressure on the health system in the country.