52 virus cases, including 43 local infections, recorded on Saturday

AMMAN — Fifty-two virus cases, including 43 local infections, were registered in the Kingdom on Saturday, increasing the caseload to 2,353, the government announced.

The local cases included 22 infections in Amman, of which 15 are contacts of COVID-19 patients, while the sources of the other seven infections are under investigation. 

Also among the domestic infections are 14 cases in Balqa, six in Irbid, and a case in Zarqa, who are all contacts of COVID-19 positive persons, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Health Ministry.

The cases from abroad comprise nine individuals, of which eight have been in quarantine at designated hotels, and a Jordanian truck driver who tested positive at the Omari border crossing.

Meanwhile, 24 recovered patients left hospitals on Saturday, 23 from Prince Hamzah Hospital and one from the Dead Sea's quarantine site for COVID-19 patients.

The statement also added that the epidemiological investigation teams conducted 9,268 COVID-19 tests on Saturday, increasing the total number of tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic in the Kingdom to 882,473.

Amid the growing number of local infections, the Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by Defence Order No.11 and adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people.

The ministry also highlighted the “Aman” (Safety) application for smartphones, which alerts users if they come into contact with a virus positive individual, as well as “Sahtak” (your health) application, which provides users with the latest information and news related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to guidelines and warnings pertaining to the Kingdom’s epidemiological status.