Mandatory hotel quarantine in Kuwait for all incoming passengers to begin next week

Kuwait’s decision to impose a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine for all incoming flight passengers is set to begin on Sunday, February 21.

As per the decision, the costs for the hotel quarantine will have to be borne by the passengers.

The Kuwait Hotel Owners Association (KHOA) has also announced the recommended prices for each hotel category for six nights and seven days, local daily Kuwait Times announced.

For three-star hotels, the room rate has been set at KD20 per night for a standard single room and KD30 for a double room with breakfast and airport transfer. For four-star hotels, the rates have been fixed at KD30 per night for a standard single room and KD40 for a double room with breakfast and airport transfer. For five-star hotels, the rate has been set at KD45 per night for a standard single room and KD55 for a double room with breakfast and airport transfer, the report stated.

The decision is applicable to both Kuwaitis and foreign nationals. Payment for the facility will need to be made ahead of travel, officials said.

However, some of the lawmakers called on the government to review the decision, stating that the move will add huge financial strain, especially on students.

اللجنة العليا لاعادة تشغيل الرحلات التجارية تبحث آلية تطبيق قرارات مجلس الوزراء الأخيرة بشأن تطبيق الحجر المؤسسي على جميع الركاب القادمين لمطار الكويت الدولي . pic.twitter.com/VzMtcH80UQ

— الطيران المدني (@Kuwait_DGCA) February 9, 2021

Kuwait announced a slew of new restrictions earlier this month to curb the spread of the virus.

It imposed a two-week ban on the entry of foreigners into the country from February 7, with only close relatives of Kuwaiti citizens and domestic workers exempt from the decision.

Commercial shops and restaurants – including malls – will also have to stay closed from 8pm to 5am, although delivery services can continue. Pharmacies and food stores are exempt from the ban.

Meanwhile health clubs, salons, barbershops, celebration halls and tents have been ordered to close. Officials have also banned all types of gatherings, including for national holiday celebrations later this month. All sports events have also been suspended.

Read: Kuwait suspends entry of foreigners for two weeks, imposes restrictions on malls, shops

The restrictions will be in place for one month starting February 7, subject to re-evaluation.

The country announced 798 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, taking the total case count to 177,701. It also reported five deaths due to the virus, with the death toll reaching 1,003.