KUWAIT, March 16 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti cabinet on Monday approved a draft law authorizing KD 500 million additional funding to ministries and state agencies in order to fight the novel coronavirus.
The move was decided during a customary weekly cabinet meeting presided over by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
The cabinet also consented to another bill revising Article 17 of Law 8/1969 regarding health and preventive requirements and aiming at punishing violators by jailing them for up to three months and a maximum fine of KD 5,000 or by either, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anas Al-Saleh said in a statement following the meeting.
It also aims at punishing anyone who may break Article 15 of the same law regarding pandemic outbreak by imprisoning him or her by up to six months and a fine of KD 10,000-30,000 or by either, added Al-Saleh, who doubles as Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.
Also under the new bill, anyone who may be infected with a contagious disease and deliberately transmits the disease to others by holding him or her for up to five years in prison and a KD 10,000-50,000 fine or by either, he added.
The fresh measures are part of ongoing efforts exerted by all ministries and state agencies to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The cabinet decided to send both drafts laws to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ahead of taking them to the National Assembly (parliament).
The cabinet also approached for a special parliament session to look into both bills in question.
A legal team involving jurists and law professors will also be set up in order to mull the ramifications of exceptional measures being taken nationwide to put the coronavirus situation under control, in addition to legal measures to be taken in this regard.
Finally, a temporary cabinet fund is to be created to receive contributions from different institution's, companies and individuals with a view to backing governmental efforts to fight the virus.
Meanwhile, the cabinet voiced much thanks and appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for facilitating the movement of trucks at the joint border with the State of Kuwait. (end) mt