An 82-year-old Kuwaiti woman recovered from the novel coronavirus, announced the health ministry on Tuesday.
The count brings to 73 the total number of people who have recovered from the virus.
It reported 23 new cases in the country in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 289. Thirteen patients are in intensive care, said a ministry spokesman.
Health Minister Bassel Al-Sabah was quoted on Tuesday as saying a clearer picture would emerge by early June on the success of containment efforts. Kuwait was the first Gulf state to halt passenger flights and impose a partial curfew.
“If infection numbers stabilize, there may be a gradual easing of current measures,” he told Al Rai newspaper. “But if the average rate of transmission increases then ... I do not rule out the cabinet enforcing a full curfew.”
Bahrain offers free medical treatment
King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Thani, meanwhile, ordered the ministry of health to cover the treatment expenses coronavirus patients, including testing and quarantine services.
The order applies to all citizens and residents.
The ministry announced 47 new cases on Tuesday, diagnosed in foreign workers. They will be treated in quarantine at no cost in line with the royal order.
It also announced that 21 more patients have recovered from the infection.
Bahrain has detected 316 virus cases.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz had on Monday offered to cover the medical treatment of all coronavirus patients in Saudi Arabia.
UAE locks down historic district
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai enforced the country’s first full lockdown on a district housing the emirate’s famous gold and spice markets on Tuesday, to disinfect the normally bustling tourist and trade area as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The UAE has extended a daily overnight curfew for a nationwide disinfection drive to April 5, but Dubai announced late on Monday that a 24-hour curfew would be imposed on Al Ras district for two weeks starting Tuesday.
“I am glad they are doing this because it is for our protection,” said one rice trader who works in Al Ras but resides in Sharjah emirate. The trader, who declined to be named, told Reuters he is now conducting his business online.
Dubai closed the main road entrances to Al Ras and halted public transport to the area, which abuts Dubai Creek, where dhow have been banned from transporting goods between Dubai and Iran, a regional epicenter for the virus.
Dubai Health Authority will provide essential supplies to Al Ras residents, Dubai Media Office tweeted.
The UAE has confirmed 611 coronavirus cases, with five deaths. The total number of infections in the six Gulf states stands at more than 3,700, with 18 deaths.
The UAE plans to open drive-thru testing centers across the country, the region’s business and tourism hub, after first was opened last week in the capital, Abu Dhabi.
“We will never hesitate to take any measures against any potential threat to people’s life. At the same time, we won’t let the development grind to a halt,” Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan, said in comments carried on state media.
