Jordan: Five-day nationwide lockdown to be imposed from November 11 /update 45

Event

Officials announced on Sunday, November 1, that from Wednesday, November 11, a five-day 24-hour nationwide lockdown will be imposed in attempts to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The lockdown is set to begin from 17:00 (local time) on November 11 and continue until 06:00 on Saturday, November 15. Authorities also announced that curfew hours will be extended from Monday, November 2, to begin an hour earlier; the night-time curfew will run from 22:00 - 06:00 and businesses will be permitted to operate between 06:00 and 21:00. 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. Parliamentary elections will continue as scheduled on Tuesday, November 10.

Additionally, gyms and public pools will be closed across the Kingdom from Monday, including those located in hotels and residential compounds. Schools and universities will continue with distance learning until the end of the current term. Face-masks and protective gloves remain mandatory in public spaces and infractions are punishable by fines.

Jordanian authorities announced the reopening of three land border crossings with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank from Thursday, October 29, following a seven-month closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The reopened crossings include the Al-Mudawara Crossing (Saudi Arabia), the Jordan River Crossing (Israel), and the King Hussein Bridge (West Bank). Those wishing to enter via the land crossings will be required to meet current entry requirements, follow social distancing measures, and pre-register on the 'visit Jordan' e-platform. To register and for further information regarding entry requirements, please click here.

Flights to and from Amman's Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) resumed in September. 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 Sunday, November 1, health authorities have confirmed 75,866 COVID-19 cases in Jordan, with 866 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.