COVID-19: Kuwait forbids unvaccinated citizens from international travel

Kuwait's government announced on Tuesday, July 29 that unvaccinated citizens will be barred from travelling overseas. The rule will be effective from August 1. The travel ban does not apply to children under the age of 16 or those who have received a Health Ministry exemption. Pregnant women with acceptable proof of pregnancy will also be granted an exemption.

Since May 22, Kuwaitis who have gotten one dosage of the Coronavirus vaccine have been authorized to travel overseas. However, under the new rules, passengers must have taken both the doses of their government-approved vaccine and must display the green colour in a phone app designed by the Ministry of Health before boarding a plane.

Kuwaitis who leave the country must also have health insurance that covers COVID-19-related illnesses. Kuwait stated this month that non-citizens can travel to Kuwait starting August 1 if they are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, six months after barring its borders to international travelers.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the country of 4.8 million people has recorded over 394,000 cases of the virus and almost 2,200 deaths. The Kuwaiti government announced on Monday that it was easing restrictions on commercial operations such as malls, restaurants, and cafés, citing a decrease in coronavirus cases. Weddings, business conferences, and other large social gatherings are still outlawed. On September 1, children's activities, including summer camps, will reopen.

Emirates extends ban on flights from India, Pakistan

Passengers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will be unable to travel to Dubai until August 7. Passengers connecting through India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka in the previous 14 days will not be allowed to travel to the UAE from any other place. Nationals of the United Arab Emirates, holders of UAE Golden Visas, and personnel of diplomatic missions who follow revised COVID-19 protocols are excluded and may be allowed to travel.

The embargo on inbound flights from India has been extended again. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) have put a stop to all inbound flights for national and international carriers coming from India as of April 24. The flying prohibition was initially attributed to an increase in the COVID-19 virus's "Delta" version. The resumption of travel has been postponed on multiple occasions.

Thousands of Indians who flew home from the UAE when travel restrictions were loosened have been stranded in India due to new regulations that have taken effect. India is the UAE's largest source of market, accounting for roughly a third of all exports. In 2019, there were around 3.42 million Indians living in the United Arab Emirates.