Kuwait said 1,716 people tested positive for coronavirus with eight related deaths reported on Thursday taking the total cases up to 196,497 as deaths rose to 1,105 respectively, according to the health ministry.

The ministry also reported that 1,125 more people have been cured of the virus, raising the total of those to have overcome the disease to 183,321, spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad told a press conference.

The number of people hospitalised with the virus currently stands at 12,071, with 167 of them in intensive care units, he added, revealing that some 11,208 swab tests were conducted over the last day out of a total of 1,822,389.

He went on to urge nationals and expatriates alike that abiding by health precautions, mainly, following social distancing rules, is the only way to halt the spread of the virus.