Jordan registers 4 new COVID-19 cases, one death

AMMAN — Minister of Health Saad Jaber on Monday announced that four new cases of coronavirus infection have been registered, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom to 349.

The new cases include a man who was in contact with his wife and daughter who had returned from Italy on February 22, a woman who contracted the virus from her fiancé, who became infected after he had interacted with a Lebanese person who had been tested positive for the virus, and a young woman who was in contact with a confirmed case, the minister noted.

During the daily joint press briefing with Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh broadcast live from the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management, Jaber also announced that a patient has died from the coronavirus, raising the death toll in the Kingdom to six.

He added that 16 COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from Prince Hamzah Hospital, increasing the number of cured individuals to 126. There are currently 217 coronavirus patients being treated at hospitals around the Kingdom.

Adaileh, for his part, said that the health and safety of Jordanians in the Kingdom and abroad is the “supreme goal” of the government, which has discussed the possibility of allowing citizens and students abroad to return.

In this regard, Adaileh said that aeroplanes are among the “best places” for the spread of the disease, adding that the government has decided against making a hasty decision on the issue.

Most countries have advised their citizens abroad to stay wherever they are to preserve their health and safety, he noted, stressing that if a decision is taken to bring back expatriate Jordanians, they will be required to enter a 17-day compulsory quarantine.

The minister said that security agencies have registered 1,036 curfew violations, including picnicking and people practising team sports, and impounded 558 vehicles over the past 24 hours.

He mentioned the possibility of imposing a comprehensive curfew similar to Friday’s for a few days to allow epidemiological investigation teams to work efficiently.

The minister also noted that a building in Dahiyet Al Rashid in Amman, which saw several confirmed cases on Sunday, was isolated as a precautionary measure and to allow epidemiological investigation teams to test people who were in contact with its inhabitants and to sterilise the building.

As for people who require permits for emergency cases, he said that they can apply to receive these permits through www.stayhome.jo, calling on people who receive such permits not to misuse them.