Health minister, in WINEP broadcast, says Kingdom’s epidemiological situation ‘under control’

AMMAN — Minister of Health Saad Jaber on Wednesdaysaid that the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in Jordan is “under control”, as the Kingdom has recorded no new cases during the past few days except for a limited number of truck drivers who tested positive at the borders.

Jaber was speaking during a live broadcast organised by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) through its Facebook and YouTube platforms, in which Iraqi Minister of Health Jaafar Alawi and Director of the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Saudi Arabia Abdullah Quweizani also participated.

Jaber stressed the importance and accuracy of the measures taken in the Kingdom against COVID-19, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The meeting, moderated by WINEP Executive Director Robert Satloff, discussed the Jordanian, Saudi and Iraqi experiences in dealing with the coronavirus crisis and the precautionary and preventive measures taken by each country’s government to limit its spread.

The meeting highlighted Jordan’s “great success” in dealing with the virus, which has led to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths due to the precautionary and preventive measures taken by the government.

Jaber stated that the concerned authorities in Jordan have handled the crisis with “transparency, clarity and openness” towards citizens, including publishing the actual numbers of infections and the sources of infection. He described the cooperation of citizens with government measures as “responsible” and a contributing factor to confronting the pandemic.

The minister pointed to the decisions taken recently in the Kingdom, which have allowed a number of economic, commercial and medical sectors to resume work gradually in accordance with precautionary measures and an approved medical protocol in light of the Kingdom’s “stable” epidemiological situation.

Jaber said that an estimated 70 per cent of these sectors have returned to normal, while a daily curfew continues to be imposed from 6pm to 8am, in addition to the total lockdown on Fridays across the Kingdom.