Kuwait halts commercial flights, closes airport due to coronavirus
By
Chris Morris
March 11, 2020 1:13 PM EST
Kuwait is largely shutting itself down as the COVID-19
coronavirus pandemic continues to spread.
The country has announced plans to
halt all commercial flights beginning on Friday, with the exception of cargo flights. As of Wednesday morning, there were
70 people infected with the virus in the country.
Some exceptions will reportedly be made for Kuwaiti nationals attempting to return home.
While it has become common for airlines to cancel flights due to the impact of coronavirus, Kuwait is the first country to take the step of closing its airport. Saudi Arabia, though, did
temporarily halt the entry of pilgrims who wanted to visit religious sites.