Kuwait, Oman suspend flights, close border crossings

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait/MUSCAT, Oman (AA) - Kuwait and Oman on Monday decided to suspend flights and the closure of border crossings, as part of precautionary measures to stem the outbreak of coronavirus.

The Kuwaiti Government Communication Center on Twitter announced "the suspension of commercial flights to and from Kuwait International Airport and the closure of land and sea border crossings."

It added that the decision will take effect "as of today, Monday at 11:00 pm [2100GMT] until Friday, Jan. 1, 2021."

Kuwait on Sunday recorded a total of 147,979 coronavirus cases, including 921 deaths and 143,926 recoveries.

For its part, the official Omani News Agency said: "It was decided to prevent entry and exit to and from the Sultanate through various land, air and sea ports."

It added that the decision will take effect "starting from 01:00 am tomorrow morning [2300GMT Monday night] for a period of one week."

As of Monday, Oman recorded a total of 127,931 coronavirus cases, including 1,489 deaths and 119,745 recoveries.

Last week, the UK announced a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization requested countries to redouble their health measures in the wake of the new virus type.

Around 20 countries -- including Turkey, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Belgium, Ireland and Canada -- have banned all flights from the UK on Sunday and more countries are expected to follow suit.​​​​​​​

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara