Over-indulgence in family visits and failure to adhere precautionary measures led to increase in infection

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KUWAIT, June 19: Health Minister Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah said on Thursday failure to adhere to precautionary measures and over-indulgence in family visits during lockdown has led to further spread of coronavirus, warning the situation might “get out of hand.”

Based on state figures, the Cabinet decided to maintain the current first phase of the five-phase restart plan with a continuous reassessment of the health situation, until health standards required to move on safely to the second stage are reached, he said.

The minister was speaking to reporters in a remote press conference, following a Cabinet meeting, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, aimed at discussing the health ministry report on the situation.

“Today we are able to control (the pandemic) and we do not want to reach a stage where the pandemic controls us,” he said. Many fathers and mothers were tested positive and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in spite of staying at home, he said. They caught the virus after hosting gatherings and not adhering to social distancing rules or washing their hands, he added.

He urged the public to cooperate with authorities in order to proceed to the next phase, quoting His Highness the prime minister, who said that “we are at a crossroads.”

The criteria for moving from one stage to the other are the rate of infection transmission, the stability of patients’ numbers for a sufficient period, low levels of family occupancy at ICUs and hospitals and low infection rates.

Meanwhile, the lifting of the isolation of some areas in the country came after a drop in infection rates there.

Despite having recorded “very good” improvements in four criteria, the rate of transmission remained 1.07 (the normal being one), the minister said, adding this necessitated the continuation of this phase, which will be reassessed over the coming days.

He went on to urge the importance of wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands, leaving home only for extreme necessity.

Asked about the application of dexamethasone in Kuwait, after its success in limiting coronavirus-related deaths in the UK, he said the drug was available and abundant throughout Kuwaiti hospitals, however, the amount and timing of administering the drug has not yet been determined.
He commended the study, saying it has “very good” results amongst coronavirus patients, suffering from acute respiratory problems.(KUNA)

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