COVID-19: Kuwait sees decline in positive cases
As of November 20 country has conducted over a million swab tests for coronavirus
Kuwait City: The spokesman for the Ministry of Health has revealed that the percentage of positive cases of COVID-19 to the number of swabs conducted has decreased.
Dr. Abdullah Al Sanad pointed out that the percentage on September 20 was 17 per cent, on October 20 it was 11.1 per cent and on November 20 it went down to 7.7 per cent.
As of November 20, Kuwait conducted over a million swabs. Since July, Kuwait has ramped up testing and has started providing tests at private clinics for a fee.
In terms of critical cases, there are currently 92 critical cases undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The number has gone down compared to the past few weeks, as there were 142 critical cases in the beginning of October and 121 critical cases at the beginning of this month.
Earlier this month, a senior health official said that the number of positive cases is within the expected range. In addition, the source pointed out that Kuwait has not undergone a second wave and that the situation has been steady since the pandemic began in March.
Combating the virus
Kuwait has implemented several health restrictions to combat the spread of the virus. Back in May, the Kuwaiti government introduced a five-stage plan to ease the country back to normal life while still remaining cautious.
Kuwait is still in the fourth-stage, which it entered back in August. The government has yet to announce when the country will enter the fifth-stage which will allow for the resuming of cinemas and large gatherings, like weddings and Diwaniyas, to take place.
In addition, Shisha cafes remain closed and will likely not open until the vaccine is available, according to Al Rai who quoted a well-informed source.