COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan

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The COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On 2 March 2020, the Ministry of Health confirmed the first case in Jordan.

As soon as reports about a novel coronavirus in China emerged in early 2020, Jordan's National Epidemics Committee and Health Ministry on 26 January designated certain hospitals to treat infections and established several protocols to deal with the arrival of the coronavirus to the country, five weeks before the country recorded its first case on 2 March.^[3] Despite the fact that Jordan had only one confirmed coronavirus case on 14 March, the government suspended schools, banned public gatherings and closed the borders and airports in response to the rapid spread of the virus in countries surrounding Jordan and around the world. On the morning of 15 March, the government implemented a plan to quarantine arrivals in the country before the borders and the airport were completely shut down on 17 March. The Jordanian Army was tasked with the plan's implementation as it moved to facilitate the transportation of 5,000 arrivals from airports and border crossings to luxury Dead Sea resorts, a popular tourist area which was declared a closed military zone and used as accommodation for a mandatory two-week quarantine paid by the government.^[4]

After learning that a coronavirus infected patient had attended a wedding with 400 guests in the city of Irbid, the government announced a lockdown on 17 March, which was later turned into a strictly-enforced curfew that was described as one of the world's strictest measures. But the curfew that lasted four days was later relaxed as government plans to deliver food to neighborhoods had failed, and people were allowed to walk to buy groceries from local stores from 10 am until 6 pm when civil defense sirens were used to announce the end of when people can go out.^[5] For six weeks, during which infections rose to around 400 cases, the lockdown included a ban on the use of cars with the exception of health service providers and essential sector workers. Neighborhoods with confirmed cases were isolated and intergovernoratal travel was banned. Health Minister Saad Jaber and Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh gave daily briefings on developments from the National Center for Security and Crises Management along with other ministers and military and police officials.

On 30 April, the Jordanian government moved to ease the lockdown and re-open the economy after confirming only 451 cases, of which 350 recovered and 8 died. The government's decision was not only influenced by these numbers which were considered to be encouraging, but also out of fear for the country's ailing economy which was badly-hit by the crisis that crippled its thriving tourism sector. The tourism sector's GDP fell by 3% while Jordan's real GDP fell by 1.6% in 2020.^[6][7] The pandemic also affected unemployment rates, as unemployment hit 25% in 2021, the highest level for the country in more than 25 years.^[8][9]

As of 3 May, most sectors were allowed to resume work gradually, but schools, universities, gyms, public gatherings, church and mosque sermons remain banned, and a curfew after 6 pm remains in place as well as a curfew on Fridays. On 5 May, the government issued a defense order fining whoever does not abide by safety regulations and the wear of masks in public transportation and in businesses and government institutions by 20-50 Jordanian dinars (around $30-$70 USD). Jordan has had zero new case counts for five consecutive days as of 5 May but health officials have expressed worry that a second wave could surge if inadequate social distancing measures were taken by the public.