No new cases of novel coronavirus — Daoud

AMMAN — Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs and Acting Media Minister Sami Daoud on Wednesday confirmed that no new cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded in the Kingdom besides the single case announced on Monday involving a Jordanian returning from Italy.

Daoud made these remarks while holding a joint press briefing with Health Minister Saad Jaber and Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) Director General Hayel Obeidat, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Daoud announced that, under the instructions of Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, a periodic media briefing will be held in order to provide the media and the public with updates on the coronavirus with "full transparency".

The general situation is “reassuring” and “there is no cause for concern”, he stressed, calling on the public to avoid rumours and take information from official sources.

Government preparations and measures are “strong” and have contributed effectively to reducing the chances of the disease spreading in Jordan, Daoud added. 

For his part, Jaber noted that over 400 tests have been carried out on citizens who were abroad or who were suspected to have the virus, the results of which have returned negative. 

According to the recommendations of the National Anti-Pandemic Committee, centres will soon begin receiving suspected cases in the northern, central and southern areas of Jordan, he said. He noted that preparations at these centres are under way to spare citizens from travelling to the capital and waiting for long hours. 

Samples will be taken for examination by response teams that will then transport the samples to the capital for analysis, according to the health minister. 

He announced that equipment has been prepared for the designated quarantine area for those arriving to and transiting through Queen Alia International Airport, which has already been provided with beds.

An agreement has been reached with a company to provide food services to those staying at the airport's facilities, he added. 

Jaber also announced that rapid work is under way to finish equipping an additional isolation department in Prince Hamzah Hospital in the event of more cases, adding that it will be finished soon and that specialised cleaning teams will be contracted. 

The health minister affirmed that the situation in general is “good”, and that border control procedures have been effective.

Also on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that it has provided airports and marine crossings with five thermal scanners to measure the temperatures of arrivals in the Kingdom to prevent new cases of the coronavirus, according to Petra. 

Secretary General of the Ministry of Health Adnan Ishaq, who is responsible for overseeing response to the coronavirus, noted that if the scanners detect high body temperatures, medical teams will refer the suspected case to an isolated room within the airport.   

Ishaq stressed that the devices have a "zero probability of error", describing the scanners as "very accurate".  

Jordan’s measures to combat the spread of the virus are “good” and are periodically reviewed by the National Anti-Pandemic Committee, the Prime Ministry and the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management, Jaber stressed.

He also highlighted that all government institutions are working together to deal with new developments, pointing out that there are “no fixed global standards” for dealing with the coronavirus.

For his part, Obeidat noted that during the first week of February, the JFDA decided to ban the export of face masks, supplies, medical devices and personal protection supplies to ensure that these products are available in the local market, stressing that the stock of these supplies is secure.

Obeidat underlined that "masks are useful only for infected persons, the medical staff treating them and people who come into contact with them, and there is no need for others to wear them". He added that as Jordan has recorded only one case, it is “not reasonable for large groups of citizens to use masks".

The administration has qualified three production lines for manufacturing face masks, which produce 13,000 to 15,000 masks daily, he said, adding that there is currently a surplus of masks and sterilisation supplies and materials. He urged the public against “undue rush” to buy and store them.

The administration has supplied private sector hospitals with a “good stock” of masks and necessary medical equipment.

Obeidat highlighted inspection tours conducted by the JFDA ’s teams to deal with attempts to monopolise supplies and sell them at higher prices, as during the past 72 hours, many pharmaceutical establishments and commercial warehouses were closed as a result of related violations.

He said that the JFDA has strengthened its procedures for reviewing food health documents and certificates due to the spread of coronavirus in other countries, even though the virus is not transmitted through food.