A total of 1,199 new coronavirus cases were recorded on Wednesday across Jordan, bringing the total number of cases in the Kingdom to 20,200, according to a joint daily brief by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.
The majority of Wednesday’s cases were registered in the capital which accounted for 870 infections, the statement said.
Apart from the capital, Amman, the caseload was particularly centered in densely populated provinces like Irbid and Zarqa.
Nine Covid-19 deaths were also recorded on Wednesday, bringing up the national tally to a total of 131 deaths.
Medical sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that there were a number of coronavirus patients in critical standing at specialized hospitals.
Jordanian authorities had announced on Tuesday that a full lockdown would be imposed every Friday and Saturday until further notice after a surge in coronavirus cases. The lockdown comes as part of the efforts spent by the Kingdom’s authorities to stem the spread of the virus.
As of Wednesday morning, armed forces were deployed in all governorates of the Kingdom to ensure the implementation of the complete shutdown and back the efforts of Public Security personnel.
Sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Friday and Saturday lockdown was in line with a policy to confront challenging social distancing violators who insisted on holding weddings on private real-estate and Friday prayers in Mosques.
Jordan’s government had tightened the penalties for violators of public safety regulations designed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh announced the issuance of Defense Order No.17, 2020 which stiffened punitive measures taken against violators of health measures.
Speaking during a joint press briefing at the Prime Ministry, Adaileh said that under Defence Order No.17, the defense orders No. 8 and 16 were amended to increase fines against violators to be no less than JD500 and no more than JD1,000, for a first-time offense.
For a repeat offense, violators would face a maximum one-year jail term or a fine of no less than JD1,000 and no more than JD3,000, or both penalties.
