Jordan eases lockdown, focuses on opening economy
Jordan ends the lockdown in Aqaba while keeping certain restrictions in place and eases curfews elsewhere as the region's first country to enforce a nationwide lockdown now seeks to gradually reopen its economy.
Just as Jordan was among the first countries to react early to the novel coronavirus pandemic by imposing a nationwide lockdown March 18 and enforcing a strict curfew, it is now the first country in the region to ease restrictions and gradually open up its economy.
On April 19, the government ended the lockdown in the southern city of Aqaba but kept strict health precautions in place. The port city of more than 100,000 inhabitants, where no active cases have been recorded for over a month, has been isolated from the rest of the kingdom. The minister of state for media and communications, Amjad Al-Adaileh, also announced that day that the government will ease curfews in Karak, Tafileh and Maan governorates as of April 22, implementing procedures similar to those in Aqaba.
