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Coronavirus

4:30PM to 6:30PM Rules

I didn’t go out for a walk yesterday but watched the large crowd from my balcony. I live inside the old Salmiya souk and my neighbor told me it was PACKED yesterday so might check it out today just to take some photos. In any case, I noticed a lot of people weren’t wearing masks nor social distancing even though they should.

Personally, as I tweeted yesterday, I think these 2 hours should be canceled. But I also live in a large apartment and I have a rower for exercising so it’s easier for me to say that. I don’t understand why people don’t get the concept of social distancing. Are they just not taking the virus seriously? Or are they just not aware of how dangerous it is? It’s been the case ever since the pandemic started.

53 replies on “4:30PM to 6:30PM Rules”

I don’t think language is the issue. I saw more Arabs not wearing the mask than others. The difficult is in accepting face mask as a necessity. Same with social distancing. Hope people accept both soon, so that after the lockdown gets over, we are ready for the ‘new normal’ for some time to come.

You are right. Before this 24 hour curfew i used to buy food from various restaurants, The only restaurant workers not wearing mask or gloves were Arab Expats. I witnessed them counting money without gloves and using the same hand to touch food. I stopped buying food from these restaurants to be safe.

I wouldnt pick on the nationality but the ones at the gas cylinder outlets somehow fancy pretending to behave like kuwaiti and worse like they make people wait in long cues and refrain from efficiently working. The line in maidan hawaly was almost a km long. With people waiting for gas cylinders in the heat. I don’t know where this culture comes from. But sure it’s not a Kuwaiti culture

Are you sure about the last part? Because some of the most popular words here are “gaad” , “taal bachar/bukhra”

How individuals behave is only a part of it. We also have to attribute this to a lack of foresight and basic understanding of the local context by decision-makers who thought a single 2 hour window for the entire country was a good idea in the first place. They could have staggered it by age or gender to ensure not everyone was out at once, similar to what was done in Italy and/or Spain.

Hey just FYI for those who have there Civil ID’s with the ministry for renewal or transfer purposes… The moci website is accepting your Old ID details just fine…

I made a booking with my Old ID details for 8pm today… Can’t wait to walk to Jleeb jamiyya during curfew hours 😀

You can even have your address updated for shopping purposes if your ID belongs to a different area/district by entering the PACI number outside your door in the “Address Auto no.” box on the website…

Hope this helps! 🙂

Have you seen the videos of crowds walking around during the “exercise” hours. The dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. As much as I hate to have a 24/7 lockdown, these 2 free hours are extremely bad. It defeats the purpose of being on lockdown when huge crowds are allowed to gather like that.

Did you click the option where it says that your address doesn’t match the I. D.? I tried it yesterday and put in the PACI number.

Yes you are correct! 🙂 PACI sticker next to your door or in my case the neighbor’s door coz mine doesn’t have one :p

The lockdown can only work if it’s 24/7. As you said in your previous post, there are 300,000 people living in Salmiya alone. Of course the streets will be crowded during the exercise period even if only half the residents go out. It’s practically impossible to social distance with the number of people that were out.

At the same time there are too many people that are not taking this seriously. I went out myself too yesterday and there were countless people having gatherings on street, riding bikes, not wearing masks etc.

Also, I live on the Gulf Road and in all these years I’ve never I witnessed so many people walking on the seaside as in the last weeks since the partial lockdown began. Even public holidays and Fridays were never so crowded as the last few weeks. Although yes, it’s a positive thing to see people finally exercising and being more active and outdoors, why start now when there a pandemic going on???

We have plenty of covIDIOTS. They wanna destroy themselves and everyone along. Hope they get out of the culture and start adapting changes. God bless us all.

I think there are a couple of misconceptions at work here. The first is the idea that if you’re not sick, you don’t need to wear a mask. The second is, everyone else will wear a mask, so I don’t need to. The first is false. The second is selfish, because if EVERYONE feels that way, then NO ONE will.

I also thought it was interesting the demographic of who was wearing them and who was not. Maybe that was just in my area.

At least half the people I saw yesterday in Jabriya were not wearing a mask and even a police car drove past and didn’t say anything. So enforcement is the key here to compliance in my opinion.

As far as I could tell everyone was social distancing, the online photo/video “professional commentators” must realise as well that several people from the same household may be walking out together, they do not need to social distance from each other as they are in close proximity all day anyway. The concept of social distancing is between households!

I believe the problem as well lies in the area you live and the available outdoor space in relation to population. Of course dense areas of Salmiya or Hawally will be harder to social distance than Abdullah Salem or Dasma for example and responses or solutions need to be thought about on a more case by case basis. Maybe a staggered walking time in dense areas based on a number system that correlates to your Civil id or PACI number (this is what they are doing in some South American countries).

What everyone must remember is that WHO and other health bodies all highlight the importance of maintaining physical and mental health during this crisis, and so having an allowance for fresh air and exercise are just as important as all the other measures being taken by governments.

Most of the people in my area where those who do not even live nearby , there are out as if they were locked down for 1 month , it has been only 24 hours…
No social distancing
No mask, if they have mask its on the chin , not covering nose or on the head.

Some people are making it more harder for other people -..-

Stay safe everyone.

Mark I hear that it’s in the constitution that if there is a national crisis that requires the government to do a 24 hour complete shutdown that the government has to forgive all and waive a the citizens loans. I don’t know if it’s true but that would explain why they want to only do 22 hours a day. If our health was so much of a priority in this country there would be less fast food joints and the kids schools would seel real food not just junk food.

I am not sure how to confirm that. The person said it to me was around the time of the war and said that was the reason the government forgave the loans because it was in the constitution that if the country was shutdown due to a national emergency that the loans would be firgiven

Not true, it was a rumor spread last week but isnt true. Article 25 of the constitution they said but u can google it and see its not true

Some stupid people still think that this virus will affect Indians only and they are immune for the virus.

My wife is a nurse and she is working 12hrs day& night without any extra benefits since last month.. We, including our our small kids are sacrificing our family liife to fight against to covid along with our hosting country and we are more happy to do that.

But some patients coming there to get the treatment is blaiming the nurses and accusing them that nurses are the carrier’s of virus. See how stupid these people are. Cos of this ignorant ppl, lot of nurses and their family are positive now. I don’t know when this people will realise that their money or power will not save them from virus.

Totally agree with you there. The 2 hour window seems counterproductive because it concentrates the length of time that people can mix with each other into these 2 hours instead having out spread out through the day, which increases the chances of further spreading the virus. This is yet another well intentioned rule by the government with counterproductive unintended consequences

You are living in a kinda spacious apartment, but don’t forget your also completely alone… so your coping very well.

Just change the timing to noon at peak heat. That way only people with necessities will go out (pet owners, people with mental disorders that need some outdoor time, etc…)

You know, someone just went on their insta-live explaining how it’s a privilege for us to be locked up in homes and that people who live in apartments and/or abusive homes need these 2 hours to escape.

Every one deals with things whether they live in a mansion, a spacious apartment or a bungalow. And we’ve all had to acclimate to the situation whether we like it or not, and whether we deal with mental health or not. I can think of myriad ways to deal with mental health during lockdown that doesn’t involve me going out and putting myself and others at risk.

Just makes me angry that anyone would justify a 2 hour free-for-all in the name of privilege.

@ipsum Dogs can not be taken out at PEAK heat. It’s already getting hot in the afternoon and this 4:30 change in time was such a relief knowing that my dog can’t walk outside much longer during the earlier curfew (8 – 4) that was implemented.

@Mark I cannot agree with you even though I understand the frustration of seeing people not wearing a mask or following social distancing rules (helps to have a dog, ppl generally keep distance). Kwt has made no indication to consider pet owners or their need to walk their pets , so I’m honestly terrified if they cancel the 2 hour walking period and my dog can’t go outside to do his business.

Just FYI we take 10 min outside with my dog at 4:30 and then take him for another 10 walk from 6:15 – 6:25 and that’s the only reason we get out. It’s really unfair to people following rules.

That had to be one of your most insensitive posts you have made. You live in a large apartment and drive a Lotus, do you have any idea of the conditions the working class people of Kuwait live in? Not all of us are rich, living in apartment complexes with spacious recreation areas and gyms. Some people have pets, and are smart enough to social distance as required. Please try to remember that not everyone has the same living conditions as you.

Walk your pet under your building if that’s your biggest concern, nobody is gonna deport you for that but calling me insensitive because I want a proper lockdown is silly.

What would you rather have? A 22 hour lock down from now till end of the month and then another 2 weeks of a 24 hour lock down on top of that? Or, would you prefer a 24 hour lock down from now till the end of the month? Cuz that’s basically the two options and I’d rather get this over and done with quickly.

All this hate because I think it’s safer if we all stay home instead of going out and mingling for 2 hours? Doesn’t make sense.

The idea of the lockdown doesn’t make sense anymore. Even the top doctors are changing the rational now. Once you finish with the closure and open up the borders your going to get the virus coming into the country again; until a vaccine is available its bound to happen. The only way to deal with it now is having 50-60 percent infected and they develop immunity and that stop the spread rate, the problem with that is some countries get a more deadly strain than others. People getting infected isn’t the problem, those who require medical intervention are. In Bahrain 99 percent don’t get severe symptoms and require little to no attention, that’s why the mortality rate is very low. Its just a deadly gamble.

If one has booked a shopping slot, is it legal to drive to the supermarket? I thought it was fine, but someone told me that driving is not permitted. Please advise.

You can drive as long as you have the two QR codes that are given to you when booking since one of the QR codes is a security pass

The only time people should go out is for supermarket appointments and that’s it! Why are so many going out? There hasn’t been this much people even on the weekends or holidays! PLEASE STAY HOME!!

This is freaking crazy suddenly people got urge to walk in the midst of pandemic it’s been two n half month now I have not stepped out of my apartment nor my kids n we r gated as prisoners in lockdown area we have sacrificed enough , we r abiding the law since March now n watching this is making me sad we r in our breaking point now seriously !!!!

Thanks. Yes, there are two QR codes. The only doubt was did something change with the new lockdown. Now I know it hasn’t.

The problem is not the 2 hour exercise period. The problem is with the people. Although the hours are from 4.30 pm onwards, I’ve seen people on the street from 4.10 pm.

People just don’t follow rules whether its a national or an expat.

The 2 hour exercise period is an option but the way people understand is that in these 2 hours its mandatory that they stand outside their building and loiter around in the areas.

No matter how strict the rules are and whatever measure we adopt, we won’t see any positive outcomes unless people really follow the rules.

There is a word, that has been adopted by Oxford dictionary the past few weeks, that can indeed describe the people you mention in this post: COVIDIOT. Google it to know more

Personally I think it is due to a culture of selfishness. Just look at how people drive and park in general. Also, police are not enforcing the rules, so the message people are getting from this is do not take the rules seriously. I have been walking down Gulf Road and I have seen people walk past police without masks and other people on bicycles and they did not say or do anything.

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