Jordan to Reopen Restaurants, Cafes, Places of Worship

Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
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Jordan to Reopen Restaurants, Cafes, Places of Worship

Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)

Jordan will implement new health restrictions this week to reopen mosques, churches and restaurants after they were closed for nearly three weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz on Sunday.

He warned that some people continue to deny that the pandemic exists even though the country has reached the stage of widespread transmission.

Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan carried out a survey showing that 56 percent of Jordanians question the number of cases announced by the government, compared to 29 percent who trust the figures.

One third of Jordanians see that the government is “exaggerating” the tally, while 19 percent consider that the real figures are higher than the ones announced. Meanwhile, 29 percent believe that the declared figures are true.

Sixty percent of Jordanians expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the pandemic, while 57 percent believe it failed, according to the survey.

Sixty-three percent see that the health system in the country is incapable of handling the escalating number of cases.

The country recorded Sunday 425 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 8,492. Two new deaths were reported, bringing the toll to 45.



Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Palestinians in the volatile northern West Bank town of Jenin are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces.
An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunfire and explosions, apparently from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area.
Shops were closed in the city on Monday, the day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others.
Militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups.
The Palestinian Authority blamed Sunday’s attack on “outlaws.” It says it is committed to maintaining law and order but will not police the occupation.
The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state.
Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there.