Jordan has coronavirus outbreak in control: health minister

Jordan has the coronavirus outbreak in control with zero cases reported during the past few days, health minister Saad Jaber said.

“One of the reasons Jordan has been successful in combatting COVID-19 is its expansive media education campaign and the level of trust the Jordanian government built with its citizens. For instance, since the start of the pandemic, the Jordanian government has been transparent about the number of cases and has repeatedly reminded its citizens of the necessary safety precautions,” according to Jaber, in a report from state news agency Petra.

Jordan is gradually reopening its economy after weeks of lockdown measures to control the spread of coronavirus, with small shops and businesses allowed to open.

“Jordan is now at a phase in which 70 percent of the economy is back to operating as usual,” Jaber said.

But the government is making sure that businesses and individuals adhere to public safety and security measures, and is issuing a new defense order to penalize corporations and public transport operators and even workers – particularly if they do not wear face masks – who break the regulations.

Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh likewise reiterated the implementation of the Friday lockdown order to keep social distancing and minimize contacts that would risk infection transmission.