CORONAVIRUS:KUWAIT OFW QUARANTINE DAY #05 – Strict Compliance with the Guidelines

March 16, 2020, Monday

“Obedience is the mother of success and is wedded to safety.”

Aeschylus

It is the nature of man to always search for freedom. It is the primary cause of why many people violate the guidelines in many countries. With the constant threat of the COVID-19 disease, following these guidelines may be our only path to freedom itself. In Kuwait, the Ministry of Health has reported 11 new COVID-19 cases on this Monday of March 16, 2020. It brings to a total record of 123 cases with nine recoveries.

Within the cases, four are Kuwaiti citizens who have travel history to the United Kingdom, one Kuwait citizen who has relation to the United States of America, 1 Kuwait citizen who has travel history to Iran, one Kuwait citizen who has travel history to Qatar and 1 Egyptian resident who has travel history to Egypt. Compared to yesterday’s report, the new number of cases increased.  

The authorities reported that the Kuwait Cabinet had approved a bill today to increase the governmental departments’ budget and ministries for the country’s battle against the COVID-19 disease. They funded a budget of 500 million Kuwaiti dinars. In this way, the country will have the capacity to implement further the guidelines in preventing the further spread of the virus.

 It is great that the authorities released a budget specifically for this pandemic. Without financial assistance, security forces and healthcare workers will lack the capacity to serve the community in the best way possible.

On top of that, the Ministry of Commerce monitors any artificial price hikes in the supermarket and grocery stores. It is to address the problems where owners of some private stores use the opportunity to raise the prices. Through this, the items at the supermarkets will remain at its retailer price.  

It is a very selfish act for some of the business owners to do this. They must also help the government by staying true within the prices of the goods and items. One must be compassionate about the crisis that all of us are facing and help each other as we go through it.

The Kuwait government arrested an Egyptian woman after insulting the implemented precautionary measures against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. She is currently the third Egyptian expatriate, who the authorities detained because of the same action. The first two Egyptian expatriates that the government arrested opposed and mocked the Ministry of Health decisions through a video clip.

These expatriates do not know how to appreciate the efforts of the Kuwait government during this time of crisis. The rules and guidelines implemented by the authorities are there to keep the whole community safe. It is everyone’s responsibility to abide by the rules for the government to manage the entire country effectively. One must always respect the law.

On the other hand, a video shows the empty streets of the country at night. It emphasizes that majority of the people are already staying at home. This will contribute a lot in stopping the spread of the virus.  

On the other hand, the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait conducted a disinfection activity through misting at the Embassy chancery today. It is a part of the preventive and pre-emptive measures against the COVID-19 disease and other contagious illnesses. The activity became successful through the partnership of Alpha Kappa Rho (AKRho) Kuwait Council and Cordillera Organization in the State of Kuwait (COSK).

The Embassy performed its job of keeping the office safe and COVID-19 free to the Filipino citizens.  I appreciate the action taken by the authorities. Disinfecting these workplaces is one of the steps in stopping the spread of this virus. After this, the citizens will be able to go to these offices with no worries about contracting the virus. Furthermore, the Philippine Embassy continues to urge the 240,000 Filipinos in Kuwait to stay vigilant and strengthen their immune system to fight this pandemic.

 In the Philippines, the Department of Health announced two new COVID-19 cases with one death and its first recovered Filipino case. It brings to a total tally of 142 cases with 12 confirmed deaths and three recoveries. Compared to yesterday’s report, the new number of cases decreased.  

Furthermore, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the implementation of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to contain the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the country.  He said the ECQ would end until April 12, 2020, coinciding with the entire end of the Holy Week. Duterte’s Spokesman Salvador Panelo said that the enhanced community quarantine is equivalent to the absolute or total lockdown.

The implementation of the enhanced community quarantine means that there will be stringent home confinement in all households and the suspension of transportation services. However, the authorities will still regulate the provision of food and essential health services with the presence of security forces to ensure compliance with the guidelines. They will only allow the authorized government officials, frontline health workers, and citizens with humanitarian or medical reasons outside. Overall, this is a broader and stricter version of the general community quarantine, which the government imposed in the city.

Today marks the 5th day of quarantine in Kuwait. The Philippines has a total record of 142 cases, while Kuwait has 123 cases. Citizens from both countries have slowly been aware of the existing threat of COVID-19 disease. Strict compliance on the guidelines is very vital in the current period. Even if some citizens violated the implemented guidelines, I would commend the authorities for keeping up with their stringent measures. It is not easy to reprimand always the stubborn citizens in the country. For that, I will thank the authorities for their unceasing patients and their strong will to handle this COVID-19 situation. With the government’s efforts against this pandemic, I hope that the citizens will continue to follow the precautionary guidelines to prevent the situation from worsening.

“Ako ang pintuan; ang sinumang taong pumasok sa akin, ay siyay’y maililigtas, at papasok at lalabas, at makasusumpong ng pastulan.”

Juan 10:9

MUST READ AND SHARE!

The Primary Purpose of my COVID-19 Diaries

CORONAVIRUS: Kuwait OFW Quarantine Diaries – TABLE OF CONTENTS

CORONAVIRUS:KUWAIT OFW QUARANTINE DAY #03 – A Meeting of the Ministers

CORONAVIRUS:KUWAIT OFW QUARANTINE DAY #04 – Halting COVID-19 infections for the Nation

If you like this article please share and love my page DIARYNIGRACIA PAGE
Questions, suggestions send me at diarynigracia @ gmail (dot) com

You may also follow my Instagram account featuring microliterature #microlit. For more of my artworks, visit DIARYNIGRACIA INSTAGRAM

A multi-award-winning blogger and advocate for OFWs and investment literacy; recipient of the Mass Media Advocacy Award, Philippine Expat Blog Award, and Most Outstanding Balikbayan Award. Her first book, The Global Filipino Bloggers OFW Edition, was launched at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. A certified Registered Financial Planner of the Philippines specializing in the Stock Market. A recognized author of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines. Co-founder of Teachers Specialist Organization in Kuwait (TSOK) and Filipino Bloggers in Kuwait (FBK). An international member of writing and poetry. Published more than 10 books.  Read more: About DiaryNiGracia