Kuwait to check visiting ships for coronavirus, evacuate citizens from Thailand

Kuwait will check visiting ships for the new coronavirus before allowing them to dock and require crew members to stay on board as part of measures to prevent the spread of the disease, state news agency KUNA said.

Earlier on Friday, the Gulf Arab state confirmed two more cases of the virus in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 45, a Health Ministry official said. Kuwait announced several precautionary measures on Thursday including forcing all flight passengers to sign a waiver that would make them subject to quarantine for a minimum of two weeks at the Kuwaiti authorities' discretion.

Kuwait Airways will operate a flight to Thailand's capital, Bangkok, to evacuate Kuwaiti citizens there, the information ministry said on Twitter on Friday. The ministry said the flight from Bangkok would leave on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Bangkok time, and urged its citizens in Thailand to contact the embassy.