Kuwait reports 840 new COVID-19 cases as health minister calls for strict compliance with protocols

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait recorded on Thursday 840 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 168,250, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.

The ministry announced one more virus-related death over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities in the country to 962.

A total of 510 more patients recovered from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of recoveries in the country to 160,098, according to the ministry.

Amid the surge in new cases, Kuwait's Health Minister Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah has called on the public to take coronavirus-related preventive measures seriously to help stop the spread of the deadly virus.

In a virtual news conference following the Cabinet's extraordinary meeting late Wednesday, the minister implored the public to cooperate with the authorities and show full commitment to relevant precautions to help save people's lives and the country's healthcare system.

The minister stressed the importance of wearing facemasks, abiding by social distancing rules, avoiding crowds, staying indoors, and sticking to hand hygiene.

Non-compliance and recklessness could take the country back to square one in its fight against the pandemic, he cautioned.

Earlier in the day, the cabinet announced a series of restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a new rise in the number of infections and related hospitalizations.