Expatriates are seen in line as they need to take a coronavirus clearance certificate, after returning from vacations, following the outbreak of the virus, at a health clinic in Subhan, Kuwait March 9, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
Assistant Undersecretary of Kuwait's Interior Ministry for Residence Affairs Talal Maarafy announced on Monday that the ministry will allow expatriate workers from Egypt and 15 other countries to renew their residency permits and obtain work permits from outside the country.
Maarafy explained in a statement to the press that this exceptional permit was allowed because of the recent precautionary measures taken by the Kuwaiti government to confront the coronavirus.
Kuwait suspended on Saturday all flights to and from Egypt, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Syria and Lebanon for one week in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Maarafy added in his statement that due to the current circumstances, the ministry has decided to extend all visitor visas for a period of two months, and to extend the absence permit for a period of three months that can be renewed depending on the situation.
Besides Egypt, the recent permission applies for expats from India, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Thailand, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
Kuwait's Ministry of Health announced on Monday that it had detected three new coronavirus cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 65.
Since its outbreak in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus has infected more than 111,000 people globally and killed over 3,800.
Short link: