Jordanians throw caution to the wind after government relaxes rules on movement
There were mass breaches of coronavirus measures in Jordan last weekend after a relaxation of some rules, the country’s health minister said.
On Thursday, the authorities lifted most of the precautionary measures, citing what they described as a stabilisation of infection rates.
“Social distancing was not adhered to,” Health Minister Nazir Obeidat said.
He said many people were congregating, despite Jordan’s emergency laws.
A total curfew on Fridays that had been in place since November was lifted, but a curfew from midnight to 6am remains in place throughout the week.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II last week instructed officials to ease coronavirus measures.
Public parks and swimming schools were allowed to reopen and the government said pupils would be able to return to classrooms next month, in classes of reduced sizes.
Thousands of people flocked to a flea market in central Amman on Friday, packing tightly around stalls and in front of bakeries and juice shops.
Efforts by the police to separate the crowds made little difference.
“Sadly, it is obvious that levels of mask wearing were low in most regions of the kingdom. There was also not enough commitment to wearing the mask correctly,” Mr Obeidat said.
Although the rate of increase in coronavirus infections lessened in the past weeks, Jordan is still “vulnerable to an increase in the spread of the virus”, he said.
The minister said more cases of the mutated coronavirus strain first reported in Britain had been discovered after 25 were registered last week. He did not give additional details.
It is estimated that about two million of Jordan’s 10 million people have been infected with the virus.
Official testing data show 314,514 coronavirus infections and 4,145 deaths, mostly recorded since a surge in October that prompted the authorities to impose a curfew in November.
Most businesses have remained open since the summer but schools have been closed since March.
Vaccinations started in Jordan last week. About 200,000 people have registered to take the vaccine, out of a two million government target.
Mr Obeidat said unless there was stricter adherence to social distancing, the authorities could be forced to reimpose controls that “we all do not want”.
The government blames the pandemic for a 3 per cent contraction in the economy last year, compared with 2 per cent growth in 2019.
Thousands flocked to an Amman market on Friday, packing tightly around stalls, bakeries and shops