Gov’t to announce set of COVID relief measures next week — Dudin

AMMAN — The government is scheduled next week to announce a set of measures aiming to alleviate citizens’ financial burdens, Minister of State for Media Affairs Sakher Dudin said on Wednesday.

Dudin, who is also the government spokesperson, said that these measures will mitigate citizens' financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In a telephone call with the Jordan TV’s "Happening Today" show, the minister noted that the government will "spare no effort to mitigate citizens' woes" and overcome this "sensitive" stage that the Kingdom is going through as a result of the pandemic's repercussions and economic impacts on all sectors.

He pointed out that Jordan now is facing a "very critical pandemic curve", but the government is working by all means in order to reach a safe summer, reopen sectors and gradually return to normal life.

Dudin noted that reaching a safe summer and reopening sectors require "two simultaneous, interconnected" paths: The first of which is related to full commitment by the public to preventive measures through wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and using sanitisers.

In this regard, he highlighted the importance of adhering to the implementation of defence orders issued with the aim of preserving lives and livelihoods.

As for the second track, the minister said it is related to citizens' willingness to register to take the vaccine on vaccine.jo, the official platform for the purpose.

Regarding easing of procedures that the government has recently imposed, such as suspending the Friday prayer and Sunday mass, as well as reducing the occupancy rates of public transport vehicles to 50 per cent, Dudin said that all government procedures and decisions are subject to reconsideration depending on the epidemiological situation updates in the Kingdom.