Four land border crossings to be opened as of Thursday

AMMAN — Deputy Director of the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management Brig. Gen. Mazen Faraiah on Sunday announced the opening of four border crossings to allow citizens to enter and leave the country starting Thursday.

During a press briefing held at the Prime Ministry, Faraiah said after repeated demands from many citizens to open the border crossings, “we decided to open four border points connecting Saudi Arabia and West Bank under strict health measures”.

“Several people complained of their inability to afford the high cost of air travel,” Faraiah said.

That is why, the official maintained, “we decided to open the land borders to facilitate their travel”.

“We believe that we are ready now to open the land border crossings after completing all necessary logistics to receive travellers and the procedures will be similar to the one adopted at the airports,” Faraiah said.

The official stressed that those who are willing to come back through the land border crossings have to register on the www.visitjordan.gov.jo and submit all required information and obtain a QR code.

Travellers will be obliged to take a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test five days prior to their travel date and take a second test once they are at the border crossing, he noted.

“The travellers’ vehicles will also be sanitised and they will be allowed to leave after taking the PCR test and they will get the result via a text message,” he added.

Meanwhile, travellers will be allowed to cross the borders using public transport, according to Faraiah.

“Travellers will be instructed to implement self-quarantine at home depending on the classification of the country they are coming from,” he added.

The official said the number of travellers will be limited between 100 and 150 from each of the four border crossings.

The official said the same rules and conditions also apply to investors and diplomats wishing to enter the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, truck drivers will no longer be subjected to compulsory quarantine at the border crossings.

“Truck drivers will also be asked to quarantine themselves at their homes for one week, and if they test positive, they will be dealt according to the severity of their health situation,” he said.

When asked by reporters about the opening period of the border crossings, Faraiah said “they will remain open unless the health situation becomes very hazardous in the Kingdom.”

“Obviously, the number of the local cases is much higher than cases coming through the border, so we felt that it is safe for now to open the borders,” he said, noting that “the process will be constantly reevaluated and new decisions will be adopted based on the epidemiological situation”.

He added that the Omari border crossing with Saudi Arabia will continue receiving cargo shipments and exceptional cases that the operations room at the Interior Ministry authorises, in addition to receiving members of diplomatic missions.

He concluded by saying that the government will launch an e-platform, visitJordan, on Tuesday outlining instructions regarding the procedures at the border crossings.