KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Health's (MoH) anticipation of magnitude of coronavirus was "accurate," His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said yesterday, warning that "we don't know for how long this pandemic will continue."

His Highness the Prime Minister, during a visit to the MoH headquarters to see first-hand preventive and contingency plans to address spread of coronavirus, said credibility of the ministry earned it appreciation of the world. "Kuwait was committed to transparency and honesty since day one," he said. His Highness the Prime Minister said His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah instructed the government to spare no effort to fight the virus, also known as COVID-19.

He noted that Minister of Health Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah coordinated efforts with his GCC counterparts in compliance with World Health Organization's regulations. "The responsibility is upon us all. We are working as one team to contain this pandemic," underlined His Highness the Prime Minister. "What we see now is like the tip of an iceberg whose depth is unknown, and we don't know how long this pandemic will continue to exist," he said.

He noted there were countries around the world with huge capabilities and trying to contain the virus. "We need to think of dealing with sustainability of the pandemic, which required further efforts." His Highness the Prime Minister said some of the MoH's measures were tough but in the best interest of the health situation of people. His Highness the Prime Minister was then briefed by the MoH executives about the preventive and contingency plans to limit the spread of the virus. - KUNA