Coronavirus, COVID-19
CORONAVIRUS:KUWAIT OFW QUARANTINE DAY #62 – Compassion during the Crisis
May 12, 2020, Tuesday
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
Dalai Lama
The crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic carries on as different countries continue to implement their strategic plans to suppress it. In Kuwait, the Ministry of Health of the country has reported 991 new COVID-19 cases with ten deaths and 194 recoveries this Tuesday of May 12, 2020. It brings to a total of 10,277 cases with 75 total deaths and 3,101 recovered cases. There are 158 cases in the intensive care unit, 84 are stable, and 74 are critical. Within the new cases, 138 are Kuwaiti citizens, 300 are Indians, 222 are Egyptian, and 118 are Bangladeshis. In the governorates, there are 116 cases in the Capital, 219 in Hawally, 237 in Ahmadi, 356 in Farwaniya, and 65 in Jahra.
A health official has reported that they inspected 128 residential buildings who are under quarantine measures, and 15 cooperative societies due to the COVID-19 cases within it. Furthermore, the Undersecretary at the Health Ministry Dr. Buthaina Al-Mudhaf confirms that 1,000 individuals in the building’s residents are positive with the virus. It includes the Al-Yarmouk Cooperative Society, which closed down today because one of its workers tested positive. For the markets, they conducted an estimation of 2,900 COVID-19 swipes to determine the infected. The inspections and COVID-19 tests reassure me that the authorities will be able to pinpoint the victims of the disease and isolate them immediately from the population.
During the period of lockdown, the Ministry of Defense has started sterilizing Kuwait’s International Airport. It is a great opportunity for the authorities to conduct a thorough cleaning of the airports since they implemented total lockdown in the country.
Furthermore, the Nuwaiseeb port starts to receive Kuwaiti citizens from Saudi Arabia. It is part of the land evacuation plan by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will last for eight days. The port plans to receive a maximum of 400 Kuwaiti citizens in a day. In their arrival, the authorities transferred them to the Al-Khairan resort, where healthcare personnel will conduct medical examinations. It is to ensure that they are safe from the COVID-19 disease before returning to their respective homes.
It is very helpful to the stranded Kuwaiti citizens in Saudi Arabia. They received a chance to return home without disregarding the proper protocols needed to mitigate the spread of the virus.
On top of that, it reported that the 4th health worker in Kuwait dies due to the infection of COVID-19 disease. He is a Filipino radiologist working at the Farwaniya Hospital. His name is Gerardo Castillo. The deaths of these health workers are depressing to know because they risk their lives as they try to serve the community. Amidst this pandemic, they remain selfless and genuine to their duty.
During the quarantine period, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Kuwait had been distributing relief food packs since April 05, 2020. Currently, it has released a total of 30,000 relief food packs to the Overseas Filipino Workers in Kuwait. It became successful through the coordination of Filipino organization leaders and volunteers who helped distribute the goods countrywide.
The Welfare Officer Atty leads the charity work. Llewelyn Perez. Furthermore, he said that this number is not much compared to the estimated population of 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait. With the volunteers’ efforts, they were able to reach areas where most of the OFWs resides. It is a huge help, especially to the ones who suffered the “No Work, No Pay” situation. Even if the distribution of the goods put the volunteers at risk, they strictly follow the guideline to ensure their safety. Lastly, he said they still have not completed providing goods for them. Hopefully, they will be able to plan more on how to help the affected OFWs.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) of Kuwait has released an advisory on how to buy goods during the total lockdown and curfew. The first step involves visiting the official website for the Supermarkets Appointment booking. One will enter the required data, destination, and suitable time to receive the groceries through the online platform. In this way, the community will be able to buy their needs without going outside. I appreciate the efforts of putting up an online platform promoting safe purchase and delivery.
In the Philippines, there are 264 new COVID-19 cases for May 12, 2020, with 25 new deaths and 105 recoveries. It brings to a total of 11,350 cases, with 751 confirmed deaths and 2,106 new recoveries. Compared to yesterday, the new number of cases today decreased.
The Philippines has reached the 11,000 marks in its number of cases. Among all the provinces, Cebu City ranks the highest number of COVID-19 infections, with a total of 1,571 cases. The authorities reported that hundreds of inmates from the jails of Cebu had tested positive. It can be disheartening to know that these inmates feel trapped in their respective cells with the virus. In the current situations within these jails, we can expect poor sanitation inside their cells.
Furthermore, 1,991 of the cases in the country are infected health workers. It is quite alarming because it can further lead to staff shortage in the hospital setting. Even the Ospital ng Tondo was closed from May 11 to May 24 to deploy their medical staff to the city’s infectious disease control center. In this way, they can cater to COVID-19 patients in the best possible way.
Today marks the 50th day of the curfew and 19th day of the Ramadan. Kuwait has a total of 10,277 cases, while the Philippines has 11,350. Despite a large number of cases in the Philippines, the newly recorded cases per day are low compared to Kuwait. Despite the crisis we are now facing, there are many volunteers with generous hearts ready to help those in need. During these times, I can see the generous side of humanity.
“Tuturuan kita para sa iyong kabutihan, papatnubayan kita sa daan na dapat mong lakaran.”
Isaias 48:17
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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
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