Kuwait maintains curfew amid frustration with lockdown

A Kuwaiti administrative court has rejected a request submitted by lawyers to lift the current nationwide curfew imposed by the government on March 7 and that will run until April 8 in the hope of containing coronavirus cases. This is not the first time Kuwait has imposed closures, having instated a national lockdown on May 10, 2020, until the end of the month. On March 23, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced 1,330 news COVID-19 infections and seven deaths, raising the total infections and death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic to 220,455 and 1,233, respectively.

The court said that national administrative bodies have the right to make such decisions for public safety, though it did call on these bodies to take into account psychological and economic considerations. The court asked the authorities to review all measures related to COVID-19 in the interest of public safety. 

The move angered many people, mainly entrepreneurs and workers who get daily wages, as working hours start at 5 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. These laborers often work later hours than the curfew allows and some projects have had to be halted for this reason.

Furniture shop owner El-Sayed el-Baz complained about the recession caused by the restrictions.