CORONAVIRUS DIARIES Week #25: The Importance of Compliance to Health Protocols

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

-Bill Keane-

    Today marks the 180th day of our COVID-19 Pandemic journey. Each day of our journey through this pandemic teaches us lessons that are vital for our survival to reach our path towards normalcy. As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to persist, Kuwait is still walking to its path toward normalcy.  People are still hopeful to reach the end of the Pandemic as they embrace the new normal in their lives. In order to stay on its path towards the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic, people must adhere to every health protocol that the government will impose. Every week, the Kuwait ministry adjusts its protocols for the benefit of safeguarding every constituent’s lives. Kuwait’s Ministry of Health is closely monitoring its COVID-19 cases bulletin and reports to the public for transparency.

 

Update of COVID-19 Cases in Kuwait as of September 07, 2020

The photo was taken from: Instagram: Kuwait MOH

 

   The Kuwait Ministry of Health (MoH) posted eight hundred and five (805) new cases. This brings to the total of 90,387 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The MoH also reported 2 new COVID-19 deaths bringing to a total of 546 deaths. However, The MoH positively reported that there are 516 new recoveries from COVID-19. This brings to the total of 81,037 COVID-19 recoveries. As of today’s date, there are 8,804 total active cases in the country, and still hopeful that they will recover from COVID-19.

    Compared to last week’s data, the total COVID-19 confirmed new cases significantly increased. This might be the effect of the lifting of the curfew in the country. Moreover, this might be also the effect of the increased testing capacity in the country. With the MoH COVID-19 Bulletin, people should be reminded to follow health protocols and be more cautious amidst lifting the curfew. 

 

Weekly Assembly of the Kuwait Cabinet

    Kuwait’s Council of Ministers held their weekly assembly to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic situation in the country. Kuwait ministers praised the responsible and law-abiding citizens and residents for following the health protocols imposed by the government to prevent catching the virus. However, the Kuwait Ministers were dismayed with the non-compliance of some citizens and residents by not wearing a protective mask and practicing physical distancing.

    The Cabinet observed the increase in the number of the new confirmed COVID-19 cases. This is due to the failure to observe health protocols imposed by the government. They iterated again their call to citizens and residents to follow health protocols and not to be complacent because the COVID-19 is still in the country. Again, Kuwait’s Health Minister, Dr. Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah stressed last week that the end of the curfew does not mean the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is important to still follow health protocols for the protection of oneself and everybody. 

 

Children below the age of 6 entering Kuwait are exempted from PCR Tests

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued Circular 2020/96 notifying all airlines those children below 6 years old arriving at the State of Kuwait are exempted from PCR Tests. The decision was based on the updates of the health experts in the country. This is also an effort to ease travel restrictions imposed by the government.

Circular No. 2020/96

This photo was taken from: Instagram: Kuwait Times

Updates from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait

    The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait released a list of newly arrived passports for release as of the last part of July and the first part of August 2020. Check out this link to see if your name is included in the list. If you see your name, you can claim immediately at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait for the passport releasing from Sunday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

    Reminder: You don’t need to set an online appointment to claim your new passport. The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait is open for the passport releasing from Sunday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Bring bottled water and a handy fan to protect yourself from heat exhaustion.

    For other lists of unclaimed passports for this year, 2020, you may check this link: https://bit.ly/3hyHJpu 

List of Individuals with Newly Arrived Passport

To access the list, click this link https://bit.ly/3hyHJpu

 

Appointment slots for Non-Passport Services for the date 13-17 September 2020

The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait would like to inform you that the appointment slots for Non-Passport Services are now available for the date 13-17 September 2020. Non-Passport Services offered are the following: (1) Authentication, (2) Notarials, and (Civil Registration). To those who are interested to avail the said services, secure first an appointment for non-passport services on their online appointment system at https://kuwaitpe.setmore.com/. To check the requirements for their non-passport services, you may check out this link https://bit.ly/KuwaitPEConsularServices

 

Appointment Slots for Non-Passport Services

This photo was taken from: Twitter: Philippine Embassy in Kuwait

 

More Overseas Filipinos repatriated from Kuwait

    A chartered Kuwait Airways flight, the 15th flight arranged by the Embassy since June 2020, left for Manila early morning on 06 September 2020. The 15th chartered flight carried more than 310 overseas Filipinos. The flight was endorsed by the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and the Department of Foreign Affairs and granted clearance to arrive in Manila by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). Included from the repatriates are those undocumented and distressed Filipinos from Kuwait. 

 

Passengers of 15th Chartered Flight while waiting to embark

This photo was taken from: Philippine Embassy in Kuwait

 

The efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait mirror the compassionate heart of our fellow expatriates who want to come home. Our fellow Filipinos who were weary will now go back to their respective families and experience their true home. I wish for their safe flight back to the Philippines and hoping to see some of them, fully recovered and full of joy.

Overall, as of 07 September 2020 Kuwait has a total tally of 90,387 COVID-19 cases, while the Philippines has 49,931 cases. Both countries are continuously enforcing health protocols to stop the spread of the virus. They always remind the public to observe health protocols for their safety despite the easing restrictions.

Each one of us should comply with the health protocols imposed by the government because this is for our safety. That’s our contribution to reach the end of this COVID-19 Pandemic, to realize the importance of compliance to health protocols. There’s no room for complacency amidst COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

Drugmakers promise to distribute thoroughly tested COVID-19 vaccine

Most of us are hopeful about the developing vaccine that drugmakers are testing right now. While waiting to have an effective COVID-19, it is important to still follow health protocols in our daily lives. The drugmarkers ensure the safety and efficacy of their developing vaccine. Moreover, they are promising that the COVID-19 vaccine will be based on the “large, high-quality clinical trials.”

These drugmakers are boosting the vaccine confidence of the general public that the developing COVID-19 vaccine will be safe. After securing the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, these drugmakers will submit requirements for the approval use of the vaccine. All of us are hopeful that vaccines will be developed immediately with the use of technology in the least possible time. But these drugmakers are not racing to have an underdeveloped COVID-19 vaccine. They want the general public to have the best fully developed vaccine without compromising the health of everybody.

The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine excites each one of us. The drugmakers’ promise is a proof that not everything is in a race. It is not about the quantity anymore, but it is all about the quality produce the COVID-19 vaccine that will not harm the public. Everything should take its process and avoid rushing things that will compromise the quality of the output.

The same goes with our lives, we need to trust the process. We should trust the process of following the health protocols because these provide us safety. Rushing things in our life will decrease the quality of the moment we have. Step-by-step, little by little, just trust the process and everything will turn out good.

Unbranded COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

This photo was taken from: francescoridolfi.com

 

AstraZeneca’s large-scale trial of COVID-19 Vaccine has been put on hold

As I’ve mentioned earlier, every developing COVID-19 vaccine should undergo a stringent process to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. One of the stringent processes is the human clinical trial. On September 08, the clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca was put on hold after a U.K. participant experienced a severe adverse reaction.

However, the clinical trial should push through after proper authorities will give them clearance. A clinical trial of a vaccine is designed to assess the safety and effectiveness o the vaccine before rolling out the vaccine to the general public. The pause of a large-scale clinical trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine shows that checks and balances on safety data review were performed to safeguard the independence of the vaccine despite political pressures.

There’s still no evidence supporting that the severe adverse reaction of one of their participant was linked through the COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers of the vaccine developer stated that “I do hope that the adverse event is unrelated to the vaccine.” Furthermore, AstraZeneca guarantee that they are committed to the safety of their participants that’s why they need to halt the clinical trials.

 

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

This photo was taken from: Bangkok Post

 

It is important to take some pause in our lives if needed. Taking a pause doesn’t mean we stop or we give up. We take some pause in our lives for us to have the ability to continue. AstraZeneca’s halt in their clinical trial shows that they need some time to think and make decisions whether to continue the trial or not. The same goes in our life, we need to take pause. I realized that taking some time to pause is necessary. It will revitalize us. It will make us realize more and decide wisely.

 

MUST-READ AND SHARE!

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CORONAVIRUS DIARIES: Week #24 – Uplifting Curfew on our Path to Normalcy

 

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