Jordan: Weekly Friday lockdown introduced until December 31 /update 43

Event

Jordanian authorities announced on Tuesday, October 20, that a total lockdown will be implemented nationwide every Friday until December 31, amid an increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country. The lockdown comes in place of a recent total weekend lockdown that took place from October 16-18. In addition to the introduction, a partial night-time curfew for all other days has been amended to 23:00 - 06:00 (local time). Businesses are allowed to operate between 06:00 - 22:00 as of Saturday, October 24.

Individuals in Jordan will be required to stay in their homes and limit nonessential movement for the duration of curfew hours. Medical personnel and other essential workers are exempt from the measure. Jordanian armed forces will reportedly be deployed nationwide to enforce the measure.

Regularly scheduled flights from Amman's Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) resumed on September 8. Rules for incoming passengers depend on the epidemiological situation in their countries of origin, with a color-coded classification list regularly updated by the Transport Ministry. The latest list can be found here. A minimum of one week of self-isolation to a maximum of two weeks of quarantine may be required for arriving passengers. All travelers are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test administered in the previous 72-hours prior to travel and will also be tested on arrival.

As of Wednesday, October 21, health authorities have confirmed 43,620 COVID-19 cases in Jordan, with 443 associated deaths. 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 the 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 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.