12 virus-related deaths, 1,537 COVID cases recorded Tuesday

AMMAN — Twelve COVID-19 deaths and 1,537 coronavirus cases, including 1,507 local infections, were recorded on Tuesday, Health Minister in the caretaker government Saad Jaber announced.

Meanwhile, a 48-hour comprehensive curfew will be imposed as of Thursday midnight, the COVID-19 Crisis Cell said.

Tuesday’s fatalities, which included five people above the age of 80, took the Kingdom's death toll to 122, Jaber said during a press briefing that was broadcast live from the Prime Ministry.

The local cases comprised 812 infections in Amman, 39 in Karak, 234 in Balqa, 193 in Zarqa, 17 in Maan (including 10 in Petra), 28 in Ajloun, 35 in Jerash, six in Mafraq, 101 in Irbid (including 16 in Ramtha), 18 in Aqaba, 12 in Madaba and 12 in Tafileh. 

Jaber added that 94 recoveries were registered on Tuesday, leaving 1,181 patients still receiving treatment in accredited hospitals.

A total of 19,169 random virus tests were also conducted on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered to nearly 1,330,000.

Also speaking at the briefing, COVID-19 Crisis Cell Operations Director Brig. Gen. Mazen Faraiah said that Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) personnel will be deployed across the Kingdom as of Wednesday to enforce and monitor the curfew amid the rising number of local infections.

He added that the 48-hour weekend curfew will continue until further notice.

During curfew hours, citizens are not allowed to go out, including those who hold e-permits, noting that the curfew decision excludes epidemiological investigation teams, medical and nursing staff, and a few employees necessary to sustain the work of vital sectors and institutions. 

Higher Education Minister at the caretaker government Muhyiddine Touq said that education at public and private universities for all specialisations and degrees will be online, except for the students of medicine, dentistry and nursing at the clinical stage and subjects that are taught at laboratories and courses with practical and physical application. 

Touq also said that registration for the first semester of the academic year for new and old students will be online as well. 

Meanwhile, Education Minister at the caretaker government Tayseer Nuaimi said that classes at all schools nationwide will be suspended as of Friday until further notice.

Nuaimi announced that the complementary session of Tawjihi (the general secondary education certificate examination) and tests for international programmes will be held as per schedule.

The minister said that teachers and administrative staff will continue work at schools to supervise students' online education according to a rotation system that the ministry will announce later.

Private schools and schools affiliated with other organisations also have to resort to online education, he said.

Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said that the government over the past few days have considered several scenarios suggested by the Health Ministry and the crisis cell, including imposing a comprehensive curfew for two or three weeks in a bid to control the pandemic.

Adaileh said that the curfew option had been eliminated for its economic, social and psychological impacts, despite the fact that some countries re-adopted it.

The minister reiterated that the main factor in limiting the spread of the infection is commitment, which is the responsibility of all, calling on the public to wear masks, observe physical distancing, maintain hygiene practices and refrain from gatherings. 

Adaileh noted that the concerned authorities on Monday carried out 2,417 inspection tours, resulting in the closure of 26 institutions and issuance of 169 fines, in addition to issuing fines to 59 persons for violating defence orders.