<article><p class="lead">Kuwait has announced a further tightening of Covid-19 containment measures.</p><p>An ongoing national holiday will be extended for another month to 28 May, and a partial curfew is being widened.</p><p>The new curfew will run from 16:00 to 08:00 the following day. The previous one ran from 17:00 to 06:00. It will come into effect on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The exact date for the start of Ramadan has not yet been announced, but is expected to fall on 23 April. </p><p>The national holiday — originally supposed to last two weeks from 12 March to 26 March — was later extended to 23 April. The extension means government and private institutions will resume activities on 31 May. </p><p>The new measures come as the number of coronavirus cases in Kuwait exceed 2,000. </p><p>Kuwaiti state-owned refiner <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2096891">KNPC reported</a> last week that demand for jet fuel and gasoline in the country has plunged by 70pc and 55pc, respectively, in the past eight weeks as a result of the containment measures. </p><p><i>By Ieva Paldaviciute</i></p></article>
