Kuwait to require Egyptians, nine other nationalities, to show coronavirus-free certificates to enter country

Ahram Online , Tuesday 3 Mar 2020

Passengers from Egypt, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Georgia and Lebanon must undergo tests at Kuwaiti embassies before travelling to the country

Kuwait
Kuwait's civil aviation

Kuwait has said it will oblige passengers from ten countries, including Egypt, to provide certificates proving they are free from the new coronavirus, a statement by the Kuwaiti civil aviation ministry read.

The ministry said passengers from Egypt, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Georgia and Lebanon should undergo tests by Kuwaiti embassies in those countries to ensure they are coronavirus-free.

The decision will be effective from 8 March. Those who fail to provide the certificate will be barred entry to the Gulf country, risking deportation.

The announcement comes a few days after Kuwait's health ministry issued a directive to all the airlines currently working in Kuwait International Airport to impose precautionary procedures on all passengers arriving from Egypt.

The directives -- issued in a memo dated 1 March and seen by Ahram Online -- include testing passengers to see if they have a high temperature.

Several Gulf countries had introduced restrictions on travellers from Egypt over the outbreak, which has infected over 90,000 and killed over 3,000 globally.

In the past weeks, Egypt had upped preventive measures at all entry points nationwide.

It reported two confirmed cases, with one cured and released from quarantine, while the other, a Canadian oil expert, receiving medical treatment in hospital quarantine.

 

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