KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait has banned commercial flights to 31 countries, calling them high risk due to the spread of the coronavirus until further notice, the Kuwait news agency KUNA reported.

The ban was announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Kuwaiti aviation authority, on the same day Kuwait began a partial resumption of commercial flights after a hiatus of over four months.

The authorities said Kuwait International Airport would run at about 30 percent capacity from Saturday, gradually increasing in the coming months as part of a three-phase operation plan. The first phase will last for six months.

The banned countries comprise India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Philippines that have large numbers of expatriates in Kuwait.

Other countries on the list include Iran, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Peru, Moldova, Singapore, Hong Kong, Panama, Chile and the Dominican Republic. — Agencies