Jordan: Nationwide lockdown announced October 16 -18 /update 42

Event

Authorities have announced that a nationwide lockdown will be implemented in Jordan from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, in an effort to further curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The lockdown will be implemented from 01:00 (local time) on October 16 and will continue through to 01:00 on October 18.

Following the nationwide lockdown, a nightly curfew will be implemented throughout the country from 01:00 to 06:00, during which residents will be prohibited from leaving their homes. Travel to and from airports is permitted, however, travelers must present their boarding pass at checkpoints.

Military personnel will be deployed nationwide to enforce the new lockdown measures.

As of Thursday, October 15, there have been 30,550 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jordan with 257 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be 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.