Kuwait: Life in Kuwait has returned to normal and all places have reopened for normal operations, Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah said yesterday, adding that precautionary health measures should still be observed. The minister said that Kuwait is among a few countries where life has returned to normal following more than 18 months of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He also said vaccinations are carried out in the best of ways and enough vaccines are available, adding health conditions should continue to be observed at schools, malls and mosques. The minister however said there could be restrictions for certain activities, but these restrictions will be lighter than before.

Health authorities in the country have said more than 70 percent of the population has taken two doses of approved vaccines, thus achieving what is known as “herd immunity”. The ministry has started giving a third booster dose to certain sections of the society, especially the elderly, high-risk patients and medical staff.

Sheikh Basel said the country is waiting for authorization to start vaccinating children aged 5 to 12, adding the ministry is prepared whenever the approval will be granted. The health situation in Kuwait has improved substantially, with the country reporting under 100 new coronavirus cases for the last 24 days, including less than 50 new cases for the past seven days in a row. The number of coronavirus patients in hospitals dropped to only 50, including 10 cases in intensive care units.

Yesterday, schoolteachers who have refused to take the vaccination demonstrated again outside the education ministry for being prevented from entering schools without a negative PCR test result. The teachers are insisting that the ministry requirement is an act of discrimination against them. They are demanding to be allowed to enter schools without vaccination or PCR tests.

Meanwhile, a number of Kuwaiti lawmakers posted on their Twitter accounts a statement they said was issued by MPs condemning what they called a campaign of violence and discrimination against Muslims in India. The statement said acts of killing, arson and evictions have been carried out against Muslims by fanatic Hindu groups without sufficient condemnation by the government of India.

The statement strongly condemned the brutal atrocities and “ethnic cleansing” against Muslims and called for protecting their rights, especially the right to live in peace. It was not clear how many of the 50 lawmakers signed the statement, which called on the Kuwaiti government to issue a statement condemning the crimes committed against Indian Muslims.