KUWAIT: The coronavirus situation in Kuwait is "stable", the Ministry of Health (MoH) Spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said, but called for adhering to the preventive measures to avoid a rise in cases. Meanwhile, Kuwait listed 442 new coronavirus infections and one virus-related death yesterday, taking total infections and deaths to 159,264 and 951 respectively, the health ministry said.

This is slightly up from the 440 infections announced the previous day, when two COVID-related deaths were also registered. In the meantime, the total number of COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the disease in Kuwait reached 152,420 after the ministry announced 484 new recoveries yesterday.

The number of people hospitalized with the virus stood yesterday at 5,893, with 54 of them in intensive care units, according to ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad. He further revealed that 10,283 swab tests were conducted over the same period, bringing the total up to 1,425,480. Dr Sanad went on to urge the public to abide by health precautions, mainly social distancing, to help limit the spread of the virus.

Vaccine demand

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Dr Sanad noted that the number of people who are eligible for coronavirus vaccines at present hit 2,775,000 after excluding those who are below 16 years. He hoped all people could receive COVID-19 vaccines throughout the year, pointing to the global competition of demand for the vaccines. "We are receiving vaccines periodically through phases," he said, hoping for getting more doses in the next months to help those who want vaccination.

The MoH has created an appropriate environment to store vaccines, in line with the standards set by the manufacturers, he pointed out. No doses have been damaged so far for any reason, he stressed. Sanad extolled the role of the medical staff working in the first line of defense against the coronavirus, recalling Dr Aisha Al-Awadhi who passed from the coronavirus a few days ago. He prayed to Allah to bestow mercy on her soul. - KUNA