REG 200324 KUWAIT2-1585040983553
A Kuwaiti police car patrols deserted streets in Kuwait city, on March 23, a day after authorities declared a nationwide curfew amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: AFP

Cairo: Kuwaiti security authorities have referred five people to an urgent trial for violating a partial curfew aimed at curbing the spread of the new coronavirus, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas has reported. This came as the country reported two more infections, taking the total to 191.

Investigations with the five – three Kuwaitis, a foreign resident and a Gulf national – proved they had deliberately violated the curfew when it first went into effect on Sunday, the paper said without details.

According to the government, violating the curfew is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 10,000 Kuwaiti dinars.

Authorities, meanwhile, released 15 people suspected of having violated the curfew after investigations showed they had acted due to emergency reasons, the report said.

The curfew is part of a raft of strict measures that Kuwait has put in place to contain the virus.

They include halting flights with the outside world, giving all employees a holiday, extending the closure of educational institutions until August and shutting down shopping malls.