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After a surge in Covid-19 cases, Kuwait has said that it will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks starting 7 February while neighbouring Saudi Arabia suspended entertainment activities and dine-in services at restaurants.
The Kuwait cabinet, in a statement, said first-degree relatives, such as parents and children, and accompanying domestic workers would be exempt from the entry ban, and that all those arriving in the country would have to quarantine.
It ordered the closure of gyms and salons and asked other commercial businesses to cease operating at 8:00 pm, with the exception of pharmacies, supermarkets and other food stores.
Kuwait on Wednesday registered 756 new COVID-19 cases. It had seen daily infections fall below 300 late last year from a peak of more than 1,000 in May.
Other Gulf Arab states have also introduced new restrictions to curb a recent rise in infections in the oil producing region.
Saudi Arabia this week suspended entry to the kingdom from 20 countries, with the exception of Saudi citizens, diplomats, and medical practitioners and their families.
The suspension, which begins from Wednesday includes travellers who transited through the banned countries within the 14 days prior to their journey to the country, The News International reported.
"The source added that the citizens, diplomats, health practitioners and their families coming from the aforementioned countries or those who transited any of those countries during the 14 days preceding their return to the Kingdom will enter the Kingdom in accordance with the precautionary measures imposed by the Ministry of Health," Al Arabiya quoted the Saudi Press Agency.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement early Thursday that entertainment activities and events, as well as in-restaurant dining, would be suspended for 10 days, open to renewal.
The countries which have been included in the suspension are the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey, as well as the US, Sweden, Brazil, Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Argentina, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan.
The kingdom, the largest among the six Gulf states and the Arab world's biggest economy, on Wednesday recorded 306 new coronavirus cases. It saw daily infections fall from a peak above 4,000 in June to dip below the 100 mark in early January.
The United Arab Emirates, a tourism and trade hub, has seen the region's largest surge with infections tripling in the past month to hit a new peak of 3,977 new cases on Wednesday.
The Kuwait cabinet, in a statement, said first-degree relatives, such as parents and children, and accompanying domestic workers would be exempt from the entry ban, and that all those arriving in the country would have to quarantine.
It ordered the closure of gyms and salons and asked other commercial businesses to cease operating at 8:00 pm, with the exception of pharmacies, supermarkets and other food stores.
Kuwait on Wednesday registered 756 new COVID-19 cases. It had seen daily infections fall below 300 late last year from a peak of more than 1,000 in May.
Other Gulf Arab states have also introduced new restrictions to curb a recent rise in infections in the oil producing region.
Saudi Arabia this week suspended entry to the kingdom from 20 countries, with the exception of Saudi citizens, diplomats, and medical practitioners and their families.
The suspension, which begins from Wednesday includes travellers who transited through the banned countries within the 14 days prior to their journey to the country, The News International reported.
"The source added that the citizens, diplomats, health practitioners and their families coming from the aforementioned countries or those who transited any of those countries during the 14 days preceding their return to the Kingdom will enter the Kingdom in accordance with the precautionary measures imposed by the Ministry of Health," Al Arabiya quoted the Saudi Press Agency.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement early Thursday that entertainment activities and events, as well as in-restaurant dining, would be suspended for 10 days, open to renewal.
The countries which have been included in the suspension are the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey, as well as the US, Sweden, Brazil, Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Argentina, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan.
The kingdom, the largest among the six Gulf states and the Arab world's biggest economy, on Wednesday recorded 306 new coronavirus cases. It saw daily infections fall from a peak above 4,000 in June to dip below the 100 mark in early January.
The United Arab Emirates, a tourism and trade hub, has seen the region's largest surge with infections tripling in the past month to hit a new peak of 3,977 new cases on Wednesday.
