Kuwait, Mar 7 (IANS): The Kuwait health authorities have suddenly imposed travel ban from seven countries, including India. Flights to and from countries hit by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks have been banned.
The ban will be in force for a week starting Saturday and applies to all airlines flying to Kuwait from Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, besides India.
According to a Kuwaiti cabinet statement, the cabinet held an emergency meeting on Friday under the chairmanship of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. It was decided to suspend for one week all flights to and from Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.
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All arrivals in Kuwait from any other nationality or via airports other than those of the above-mentioned countries will be denied entry if they travelled to these countries in the last couple of weeks even if they have valid residency or visas. Only Kuwaiti nationals living in those countries will be allowed in after undergoing the necessary quarantine measures, said Kuwaiti media.
In India, the restrictions came a day after Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan informed that the Kuwait government, which had insisted all passengers travelling to the Middle East to carry a coronavirus free certificate, was cancelled.
Around 170 passengers were stranded at the Karipur airport in Kozhikode on Saturday.