KUWAIT: People arrive to receive a dose of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at the make-shift vaccination center at the Kuwait International Fairground in Mishref yesterday. - Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: More than one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given to people in Kuwait. The Ministry of Health have not confirmed the number of vaccinated people, Al-Jarida reported yesterday. Separately, Al-Qabas Arabic daily reported that the COVID-19 vaccine center at the southern island of the Jaber Causeway is expected to open after Ramadan, with a daily capacity of up to 4,000 people a day.

The Health Ministry had announced on Saturday 1,206 coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, 1,497 recoveries and nine deaths. Health Ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad indicated that this brought the tallies of infections and recoveries to 265,404 and 248,633 respectively. Deaths stood at 1,511. He indicated that there were 219 patients at ICU due to COVID-19, while 15,260 cases are receiving regular treatment for coronavirus.

In other news, new domestic helpers recruited from India are included in the government's recent decision to ban direct flights from India, the union of domestic helpers office's president Khaled Al-Dakhnan said in statements published by Al-Jarida Arabic daily reported yesterday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had suspended direct commercial flights with India at the recommendation of health authorities after the steep rise of coronavirus cases in the Asian giant.

The indefinite suspension took effect from Friday midnight. Passengers arriving directly from India are banned from entering Kuwait unless they have lived at least 14 days in a third country, a statement by the DGCA said. The ban exempts Kuwaiti citizens and their close relatives - spouses and children - and their domestic helpers. Air cargo flights will continue to operate normally, the statement said.