61 COVID deaths, 4,144 virus cases registered on Saturday

AMMAN — Sixty-one COVID-19 deaths and 4,144 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Saturday, increasing the caseload to 469,000, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom’s coronavirus death toll to 5,285, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 2,112 infections in Amman, 616 in Irbid, including 37 in Ramtha District, 142 in Mafraq, 426 in Zarqa, 229 in Balqa, 136 in Karak, 59 in Ajloun, 59 in Tafileh, 50 in Aqaba, 126 in Madaba, 138 in Jerash, and 51 in Maan, including three in Petra District.

The statement added that there are currently 73,588 active COVID-19 cases in Jordan.

A total of 375 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Saturday, taking the number of patients currently receiving care for COVID-19 in hospitals to 2,737, the statement said, adding that 114 recovered patients left hospitals.

The statement revealed that the number of isolation beds occupied by COVID-19 patients in hospitals on Friday totalled 2,022, registering an occupancy rate of 39 per cent, while a total of 604 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, at a rate of 49 per cent.

A total of 335 ventilators were used for treating COVID-19 patients, at an occupancy rate of 30 per cent.

The statement added that 4,594 recoveries were registered in hospitals and home quarantine on Saturday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 390,127.

A total of 27,984 virus tests were also conducted on Saturday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic to 5,131,793, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 14.81 per cent compared with 15.24 per cent recorded on Friday, the statement added.

The Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people, according to the statement.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its awareness campaigns and register for receiving the vaccine.