LONDON: Kuwaiti citizens who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be able to travel abroad from May 22, the information ministry said on Monday.

A decision was taken “not to allow citizens and their companions who are first-degree relatives and domestic workers to travel outside the country unless they have been immunized from the coronavirus,” the ministry said.

The ban does not include people in age groups not eligible to receive vaccinations against the coronavirus. A previous directive banning the entry of non-Kuwaitis into the country still stands, the statement said.

The Ministry of Health has extended the period between administering the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to a delay in the shipment from the manufacturer.

“This comes in light of the global competition to obtain ample quantities of vaccines,” the health ministry said, adding the decision applies to everyone who will receive the first dose of the vaccine starting Monday.

(With Reuters)