KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait on Friday recorded 1,613 new coronavirus cases, marking a slight drop in the number of infections after it rose to record highs for four days in a row, according to a statement from the country's health ministry.

The ministry also announced eight more deaths caused by complications caused by the infection over the past 24 hours.

This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 198,110 and virus-related fatalities to 1,113.

According to the ministry’s spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad, there are currently 12,758 active cases in the country out of which 164 are receiving treatment in intensive care units.

A total of 10,927 swab tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of COVID-19 examinations in the country to 1,833,316, Al-Sanad said.

The ministry also announced that a total of 918 more patients have recovered from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of recoveries in the country to 184,239.

The spokesman urged citizens and expatriates alike that abiding by health precautions, mainly, following social distancing rules, is the only way to halt the spread of the virus. — SG