COVID-19: Domestic workers can return to Kuwait starting December 10
Government sets fixed flight prices for five countries
Kuwait City: After the government gave the green light for the return of domestic workers stranded abroad, the first return trips will begin on December 10, a source told Al Anba.
The source mentioned that the Ministry of Health has requested that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) hold off on resuming flights until after the National Assembly (parliament) elections scheduled for December 5. This is to ensure that the concerned authorities can insure health regulations are being followed, without being overstretched.
In a statement, the President of DGCA, Salman Al Sabah, said that a two-week institutional quarantine is mandatory for all domestic workers looking to return to Kuwait.
He highlighted that the plan is divided into two parts. The first part points at how the sponsor will need to log into the electronic platform (Bilsalama) and register the information of the domestic worker. The second aspect deals with the financial aspect, everything from the transportation and food to the health exanimations (PCR test).
Although it is unclear how much the package would cost, according to a source that spoke to Al Rai the total package price will be fixed at 350 Kuwaiti dinars.
Flight prices
As for the flight tickets, the DGCA is in talks with local airlines to determine a fixed cost for domestic workers looking to return to Kuwait.
The price for an airline ticket will be as follows: 110 Kuwaiti dinars for those coming from India, 200 Kuwaiti dinars for those coming from Philippines and 145 Kuwaiti dinars for those coming from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.
A source told Al Rai that there are fixed costs because if the price was left to the market then it can drastically rise, especially since there is a limited amount of seats.
The health officials have agreed to the return of domestic workers as long as there are no more than 600 entering into the country each day.
It is estimated that once flights are resumed around 82,000 domestic workers will be looking to return to Kuwait. Of those, around 60 to 70 per cent are expected to return.