Kuwait has extended an ongoing ban on entry into the country for non-citizens "until further notice," in response to a marked increase Covid-19 cases since the last week of January.
The announcement, made late yesterday, will keep in place the limits that were first imposed on 7 February for an initial two weeks. The only exemptions are for non-Kuwaiti first-degree relatives, such as parents or children, accompanying domestic workers, medical professionals and diplomats.
And effective today, Kuwaitis entering the country will be required to quarantine for two weeks - the first week in a locally approved hotel and the second week at home, according to Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The extension of the travel ban will continue to suppress air travel and jet fuel demand in the country, and comes as the number of daily Covid-19 cases rose to above 1,000 for the first time since late May. The authorities have reported an average of 903 new Covid-19 cases daily in the first 20 days of this month, up from 473 cases on average in January and below 300 in the last week of December.
Kuwait first suspended all international flights to and from Kuwait International Airport (KIA) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic on 13 March of last year. This resulted in a 70pc fall in jet fuel demand between March and April, according to state-owned refiner KNPC.
The country decided to gradually resume passenger flights to and from KIA in three six-month phases beginning in August last year. The first stage saw KIA restart operations at 30pc capacity. The airport had been due to ramp up operations to 60pc capacity in the second phase starting on 1 February, and a full resumption of commercial flights in the third and final stage from 1 August 2021.
But Kuwait announced late last month that it would postpone the transition into the second phase and keep the number of passenger flights to Kuwait to a minimum until further notice.
