COVID-19: Kuwait kicks off jabs for prisoners
Vaccinations target nearly 4,000 inmates in the Gulf state
Cairo: Kuwait is due today to initiate massive vaccinations for prisoners against COVID-19, a local newspaper reported.
The inoculation campaign will be launched by the Reformatory Institutions at the Interior Ministry in conjunction with the Health Ministry for nearly 4,000 inmates at the country’s Central Prison, General Prison and the Women’s Prison, Al Jarida newspaper said.
Inmates with officially certified medical excuses will be exempted from the inoculation, the paper quoted a security source as saying.
“This campaign will be the biggest since the start of the inoculation drive [in December],” the source added. Kuwait, according to the source, was in the forefront of countries that decided to vaccinate all inmates.
“In the next days, the vaccination process will include inmates in the Deportation Prison and those in custody in the Prison of the
General Directorate for Residency Affairs,” the source said without giving specific figures..
Kuwait has recently introduced new restrictions following an increase in novel coronavirus cases. Starting from Sunday, non-Kuwaitis have been barred from entering the country for two weeks.
A mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine will be applied to all passengers entering Kuwait as of February 21.