By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality yesterday issued a statement explaining the facilities to be closed on Cabinet orders made as part of precautionary measures taken to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The statement said the closure includes all shopping malls, barbershops and beauty salons, spas, gyms and swimming pools, recreation and children's arcades and the Friday and Mubarakiya markets.

The closure decision exempts administrative offices in malls' upper floors, stores overlooking streets and yards provided doors opening inside the malls are closed, foodstuff outlets inside malls provided they have special entrances and co-ops. Restaurants cannot serve dine-in customers and only provide takeaway services while fully observing Cabinet regulations concerning the number of customers received, queues and health conditions. Shisha is strictly banned.

Meanwhile, Jahra municipality inspectors conducted a wide-scale inspection campaign in various areas, said Jahra municipality follow-up manager Mohsen Al-Thuwaikh noting that the campaign inspected 13 barbershops, nine cafes and 26 stores that resulted in filing three citations and closing three stores for operating prior to getting municipal approval.

In other news, Kuwait Municipality official spokesperson Mohammed Al-Mutairi strongly denied recent social media reports about instructions to dig 50 graves with special specifications and following special burial procedures for bodies to be buried in them.

Mutair stressed that the funeral department still works normally and that it follows the most healthy and sharia-compliant procedures on washing, shrouding and burying the dead in a way that fully respects their dignity. Mutairi urged the public to get information from reliable sources and ignore rumors.