CORONAVIRUS:KUWAIT OFW QUARANTINE DAY #55 -Stringent Policies Implemented As COVID-19 Cases Increases

May 05, 2020, Tuesday

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

Compared to the past days since the first outbreak of COVID-19 disease, the new cases reported on May 05, 2020 increased. As of this Tuesday, the Ministry of Health has announced 526 new cases in the country. It brings to a total of 5,804 cases with 85 recoveries.

The Ministry announced that the travel-related cases add up to 6, composed of Kuwaiti citizens. They are related to their travel to the United States of America. On top of that, the number of other cases confirmed with COVID-19 reached 520, where 80 are Kuwaiti citizens, 195 are Indian nationality, 76 are Bangladeshi nationality, 66 are Egyptian nationality, and the rest are from other countries. On their latest developments, there are 90 patients in the ICU, in which 31 of them are in critical condition while 59 are already stable.  Overall, 3,732 coronavirus patients are still receiving medical care.

Nevertheless, he called on residents and citizens within the country to adhere to the decisions implemented by the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Health’s recommendations as they aim to eliminate and contain the virus. They recommend using the preferred methods of disease prevention and following up on the official accounts about the recent developments and information. All things considered, strict guidelines and precautionary measures are highly encouraged during this time.

Innovative Mechanisms for our Inspiring Nurses          

In aiding the country’s combat against the COVID-19 virus, new systems and mechanisms are implemented to reduce the nurses’ workload effectively. The Board Chairman of Kuwait Nurses Association Bandar Al-Enezi has announced that they are currently coordinating with the Ministry of health and the nursing administration regarding this matter. Their solution is to reduce the workload among nurses by half. This is done by dividing their shift, in which ten nurses that are on duty will be reduced to five.

He stresses implementing a parallel plan to house nurses working for the ministry in private accommodations until the crisis ultimately ends. It is to assure the safety of their own and their families. As a result, they have started choosing appropriate accommodations for them. Al-Anezi pinpoints the increase in the number of infections because of particular errors and lack of commitment to protecting the health workers’ safety.

He said that whenever a COVID-19 case is confirmed in a ward followed by a request for a survey test, these requests are rejected, claiming that these tests are only done when COVID-19 symptoms appear. Thus, it raised the risk of transmission within the ward infecting patients, medical teams, and their own families. He admits that even if there is a clear protocol regarding this, it is still not being widely implemented.

On top of that, he called on nurses to always adhere to wearing complete protective gear during their duty. Presently, there are 90 nurses affected by COVID-19. Most of them are from Sabah Health Area. However, the situation is still good, with no shortage of hospital staff.

Regarding the reported death of a Filipino nurse, he empathized, saying that it is sad to know that medical negligence and lack of protection are its cause. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation is opened to all concerned parties to determine the circumstances in this horrific incident. He assured that the perpetrator would be dismissed. 

COVID-19 Testing for the Expatriates

 To further sustain the spread of COVID-19 disease in the country, the Ministry of Health conducted COVID-19 tests randomly on all expatriates living around Oathman street buildings in the area of Hawally. It is reported that some of them were confirmed to be infected and have been transferred for institutional quarantine. Most of the expats staying in the place are from Asian countries.

However, despite these efforts, Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Khandari has called on the Ministry of Health because the new coronavirus infections that are presented in the recent press conferences were insufficient and unsatisfactory. Therefore, he draws a request to publish more detailed information about these new cases, especially the locations of the infected, their jobs, details of contact, and the number of swabs to compare if the number of infections has increased effectively. He stresses that everyone has the right to know about this crucial information in this time of crisis. 

To sum things up, this 45^th day of the curfew and 13^th day of the Ramadan brings a new perspective that things can possibly escalate quickly on the cases of the virus outbreak, especially with the lack of preparation. To protect the Kuwait community’s health and welfare, the authorities continue to devise different strategies and implement them effectively. 

Updates by the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait

After the temporary shutdown of international flights to Philippine airports last May 3, 2020, the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, fortunately, announce its reopening of service on May 10, 2020 at 8:00 AM. The Embassy advises both OFWs and Filipino tourists in Kuwait to contact their travel or airline agency for the rebooking of their affected flights.

On the other hand, they repeated their earlier advice to Filipino citizens in the country to postpone their travel dates to the Philippines. Its purpose is to avoid any inconvenience that may happen due to the Philippine government’s precautionary measures, such as COVID-19 testing and the 14-day mandatory quarantine for all arriving passengers.

“Yamang nalalaman na ang pagsubok sa inyong pananampalataya ay gumagawa ng pagtitiis. At inyong pabayaan na ang pagtitiis ay magkaroon ng sakdal na gawa, upang kayo’y maging sakdal at ganap, na walang anoman kakulangan.”

Santiago 1:3-4

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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