Kuwait police Hawally district
Kuwaiti police officers man a checkpoint at the entrance leading to the Hawally district of Kuwait City on May 29, 2020, after the district was put on lockdown to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. Image Credit: AFP

Dubai: Kuwait will move to a 10-hour curfew from 7pm to 5am as of Sunday, a top Kuwaiti official said.

The curfew was from 6pm to 6am.The new step is part of a slew of measures to ease coronavirus-related restrictions.

The government has decided to extend the first phase of a plan to restore normal life gradually, government spokesperson Tareq Al Merzem said during a virtual conference on Thursday.

The public sector employees will not be allowed to return to work from offices next week as the previously announced plane due to the remarkable increase in the number of COVID-19 infections among Kuwaiti citizens.

He said the Ministry of Health would assess the situation of the coronavirus pandemic and keep updating the Cabinet with the developments.

The government will lift the lockdown on Hawally, Nuqra, Maiden and some blocks in Khaitan, Al Merzem said.

He added that limited air travel would be allowed for citizens with critical health conditions who should travel at their own expense.

Students studying abroad, who should travel to attend their tests, will be allowed to travel.

On May 26, the Kuwaiti government announced a five-phase plan to gradually return to normalcy, replacing the nationwide full curfew, which lasted until May 30, with a 12-hour partial curfew.

Kuwait infection tally has reached 38,047 on Thursday, and total total fatalities at 308.