67 COVID deaths, 5,000 infections recorded Thursday

AMMAN — Sixty-seven COVID-19 deaths and 5,000 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Thursday, increasing the caseload to 203,021, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom’s coronavirus death toll to 2,509, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 1,594 infections in Amman, 993 in Irbid, including 821 in Ramtha District, 545 in Zarqa, 245 in Mafraq, 512 in Karak, 269 in Balqa, 212 in Jerash, 242 in Ajloun, 193 in Aqaba, 107 in Maan, including 43 in Petra, 48 in Madaba and 40 in Tafileh.

The statement added that there are currently 64,925 active COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom.

A total of 241 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Thursday, taking the number of patients currently receiving care for COVID-19 in hospitals to 2,030, of which 481 patients are in ICUs.

The statement added that 4,469 recoveries registered in hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total number of recoveries to 135,650, with 188 patients leaving hospitals on Thursday.

A total of 25,964 virus tests were also conducted on Thursday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic to 2,461,304, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 19.3 per cent, the statement added.

Amid the growing number of local infections, the Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its “I Protect Them” awareness campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through increasing public commitment to preventive measures to protect individuals and their beloved ones.