With surge in local infections, Jordan risks community spread — Razzaz

AMMAN — Jordan rejects the concept of "herd immunity" as a strategy to address the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz said on Sunday, highlighting the Kingdom's “firm principle of the human being is our most precious asset”.

The Kingdom on Sunday recorded three coronavirus-related deaths and 252 new COVID-19 cases, including 248 local infections, according to Health Minister Saad Jaber. (See story on page 3)

During his weekly address, the premier said that the constant daily increase in the number of infections takes the country from controlled and isolated infection hotspots to community spread, which is difficult to contain, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He noted that the Kingdom's ability to continue with the adaptation approach and opening sectors depends on the public’s commitment.

The premier pointed out that a successful management of the pandemic cannot be achieved by the commitment of 95 per cent of citizens to preventive measures, saying the failure of the remaining 5 per cent in society to abide by safety measures is "sufficient to cause a painful setback". 

"Public commitment determines how the government will grapple with the coronavirus," the PM said.

"It is your commitment that determines how we will deal with the coronavirus. The genuine commitment to prevention measures will enable us to continue our adaptation and openness approach while the failure to do so will mean a setback that will unfortunately take us back to lockdowns," Razzaz said. 

Razzaz stressed that the current stage is “decisive” and there is “no room for leniency or recklessness”, noting that he has instructed the ministers of interior, industry and trade and all the concerned bodies to tighten measures to ensure full compliance with the defence orders.

“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Jordan has implemented lockdowns, which were among the fastest and strictest in the world, to achieve what is required, notably controlling the number of infections and flattening the curve,” the PM said.

A total of 700 coronavirus patients are currently receiving treatment, with 100,000 virus tests conducted weekly, he said, noting that the accumulative number of tests is approaching the one million mark. 

Razzaz added that the number of the epidemiological investigation teams has been increased, as well as hospital staff members are receiving training.

Razzaz also announced the establishment of a regulatory body that will be mandated with protecting consumers and controlling the quality and prices of food products.

He also said that a number of institutions have been merged in the newly formed body to give it full oversight responsibility and to allow it guarantee the quality of Jordanian food products.