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KUWAIT, April 8: Kuwaiti Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Bassel Al-Sabah said Wednesday that teams from the public health are making intensive pandemic investigation in the two recently identified hotspots of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

“It will take weeks to stem the tide of the pandemic in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Farwaniyah Fovernorate, and Mahboula, Al-Ahmadi Governorate, which have been placed under total lockdown,” the minister told reporters.

Sheikh Dr. Bassel made the comments after touring the fair grounds in Mishref and Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital in Jabriya, Hawally Governorate, to inspect the combat against the pandemic.

He did not rule out the possibility of detecting more hotspots in the coming weeks despite the unprecedented measures to contain the cases of community transmission.

He recalled his earlier warnings that the areas crowded with expatriate workers were most vulnerable to the outbreak given the fact that their residents are less responsive to the guidelines of public health.

“The living conditions and social habits of these people make them more liable to infection with the virus than others,” Sheikh Dr. Bassel said, affirming the ability of his ministry to conduct more Covid-19 tests and address any surges in cases.

On the evolving situation of the pandemic worldwide, he said, “The data were receive constantly show that this pandemic is unparalleled in terms of the scale and speed of its spread.

“The figures coming out so far are by no means final; they depend on the tests conducted and the persons who showed up but there are many lone wolves everywhere,” he argued.

“Nearly 50 persons of the persons who contracted Covid-19 worldwide are asymptomatic; here lies the problem. They could unknowingly convey the infection to others,” the minister explained.

“The only way to defeat the pandemic is to stay at home and keep social distancing,” he said, noting that this has been the main them of video conference he has had with senior officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) last week.

Sheikh Dr. Bassel affirmed that the Ministry of Health is in an open-end session to assess the efficacy of measures adopted and analyze their outcomes with a view to maximizing the positive aspects.

He highlighted the importance of precautionary measures in addressing any eventuality, noting that the situation in Kuwait is generally better than many other countries regarding the number of cases and fatalities.

He appreciated the efforts of the medical cadres who are in the frontline of the battle against the pandemic to save the lives of citizens and expatriates, stressing the need of commitment by everybody to the health precautions.

Citing global studies, Sheikh Dr. Bassel said the current crisis is expected to continue until the end of summer or the yearend.

Some studies predict the number of cases worldwide to hit three million by the end of April and then double in the coming month, he said, voicing hope for finding a cure in the near future. (KUNA)