PH Embassy in Kuwait halts on-site services after staffer gets coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait has suspended for two weeks its on-site services after one of its staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus.

“In accordance with the protocols of the World Health Organization and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, which requires people in close contact with a COVID-19-positive to undergo a 14-day quarantine, the Embassy announces the suspension of its services effective today, 2 July 2020, until 16 July 2020,” the embassy said in an advisory on Thursday.

On-site operations of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) will also be suspended during the same period, the embassy added.

The embassy advised individuals with scheduled appointments for July 2 to 16 “to wait for the call or message from the Embassy, preferably through WhatsApp, for the rescheduling of their appointments.”

Further, the embassy said the Filipino community in Kuwait can continue to seek assistance from its office and its attached agencies through the following hotlines and social media accounts:

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PHinKuwait
Twitter account: www.twitter.com/PHinKuwait
Consular (Passport) Section hotlines: 6518-4433; 6990-2188
ATN Unit hotline: 6500-2612
POLO-OWWA hotline: 9403-9063

Filipinos in “extremely distressed situations” may also contact the Kuwaiti government’s emergency hotlines:

Kuwait Police: 112 (for non-COVID-19 related cases)
Kuwait Ministry of Health: 151 (for COVID-19 related cases)

Latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed that over 8,600 overseas Filipinos have contracted COVID-19. Of the number, over 6,000 were reported in the Middle East or Africa region.

EDV