Jordan: Authorities announce on July 21 that some international flights will resume in August /update 26

Event

Authorities announced on Tuesday, July 21, that the Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) will reopen in early August for some international flights as the country gradually lifts restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. International flights to locations with a lower risk of infection, including Austria, China, Norway, Italy, Cyprus, Thailand, Latvia, Malaysia, and Switzerland, will be the first to resume. The airport has been closed since mid-March and will follow strict guidelines and procedures to limit the spread of the virus. All passengers arriving or departing from Jordan will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test.

As of Wednesday, July 22, there have been 1113 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and 11 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures: