Gov’t reduces curfew hours, eases curbs on vehicular movement as Eid approaches

AMMAN — The government on Monday announced a slew of measures in light of the approach of Eid Al Fitr, the feast marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, after a meeting of the coronavirus crisis cell, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said.

The crisis cell meeting, chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz and attended by ministers and security chiefs, decided to extend the hours during which citizens can leave their homes from 8am to 7pm as of Tuesday, the media minister said.

The minister also announced the cancellation of the even-odd traffic system for public transport vehicles starting from Tuesday morning. Public  transport vehicles are allowed to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity, adhering to all public safety measures, Adaileh said during a press briefing at the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management.

This decision includes all means of public transport, including yellow taxis and vehicles using ride-hailing apps, he noted.

The Eid Al Fitr holiday will be observed from the morning of Saturday, May 23, until the evening of Monday, May 25, the minister said.

The first day of eid will see a total ban on vehicular movement, and people will only be allowed to leave their homes on foot between 8am and 7pm, the Media minister said.

He stressed that no one will be allowed to use vehicles except medical personnel in the public and private sectors, epidemiological inspection teams and a limited number of staff in vital institutions.

On the second day of the holiday, citizens will be permitted to go out on foot and use their vehicles under the same mechanism currently in place from 8am to 7pm, Adaileh said, adding that movement between governorates will only be permitted for authorised persons.

The minister pointed out that, on the second dayof the holiday, private vehicles will be allowed according to even or odd licence plate numbers in the governorates of Amman, Zarqa and Balqa, and in the order determined by the Public Security Directorate.

Adaileh noted that until further notice, a comprehensive curfew will be imposed every Friday as usual.

The government has decided to pay the salaries of public sector employees by the middle of the next week, Adaileh said.

Public sector employees will return to work on Tuesday, May 26, he noted.

He noted that procedures to address this matter will be organised according to the guidelines for work resumption in public sector institutions, which was approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, adding that it will be circulated to government departments on Tuesday.

Adaileh pointed to the National Policies Council meeting on Monday chaired by His Majesty King Abdullah, with the attendance of HRH Crown Prince Hussein, to discuss the future workflow in various sectors in light of the circumstances created by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that His Majesty reviewed, during a briefing presented by the Prime Minister, the precautionary measures taken by the government to deal with border crossings and stressed the importance of tightening health measures at all crossings to prevent the virus from entering the Kingdom from abroad.

Adaileh also announced the resumption of the government’s press conferences, noting that a weekly press conference will be held starting next week.

Before the end of this week, the Prime Ministry will publish guidelines for organising press conferences in line with the government’s measures for work resumption in public sector institutions, he noted.

“As you know, the fact that the media did not attend these briefings was due to a commitment to strict precautionary health measures that we have put in place and are still following,” Adaileh said.

"We worked hard during this period to ensure the flow of information through the daily press briefings. In this context, we held dozens of TV, radio and press meetings, as well as meetings with websites, and we follow and answer media inquiries and their demands all the time," he said.

Adaileh affirmed the government's “absolute respect” for the freedom of the press and the right to access information.