Critical Alert
Jordan imposes nationwide 24-hour curfew on weekends from 0001 Oct. 9 until further notice due to increased coronavirus activity.
Alert Begins 07 Oct 2020 11:22 PM UTC
Alert Expires 15 Nov 2020 11:59 PM UTC
- Incident: COVID-19 restrictions
- Location(s): Nationwide (map)
- Time Frame: Indefinite
- Impact: Business and travel disruptions
Summary
Due to an increase in coronavirus activity, authorities in Jordan will impose a 24-hour weekend curfew nationwide. Effective 0001 Oct. 9, individuals in Jordan will be required stay in their homes and limit nonessential movement for the duration of curfew hours. The 24-hour curfew will continue nationwide on weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) until further notice. Medical personnel and other essential workers are exempt from the measure. Jordanian armed forces will deploy across all governorates to enforce the measure. The nationwide nightly curfew of 0100-0600 for individuals and 0001-0600 for businesses remains in effect on weekdays until further notice.
Authorities imposed 24-hour curfews on the neighborhoods of Al-Salihin, Al-Muqabil, and Umm Nawara in Amman, as well as the towns of Balama in Mafraq Governorate and Marsa'a in Jerash Governorate, from 0600 Oct. 7 through Oct. 14 due to localized increases in COVID-19 activity. Travel in and out of the affected areas will be restricted for the duration of the measure. Local authorities will issue special travel permits to ensure the continued operation of supply chains and to address exceptional humanitarian and emergency cases. Authorities previously announced 24-hour curfews in the following areas:
- Ain Al-Basha in Balqa Governorate from 0600 Oct. 5 through Oct. 12
- Al-Qasr in Karak Governorate from 0600 Oct. 2 through Oct. 9.
- Baqaa Camp in Balqa Governorate, as well as the Batrawi and New Zarqa areas of Zarqa Governorate, from 0600 Oct. 1 through Oct. 8.
Travel into and out of those areas is likewise restricted. Authorities are monitoring the epidemiological situation throughout Jordan and will continue to enact lockdowns on locations with increased COVID-19 activity.
On Sept. 30, the government released an updated list of country classifications for flight arrivals based on the originating country's COVID-19 activity levels. The government is using a three-tier, color-coded system for classifying foreign countries according to COVID-19 activity following the Sept. 8 resumption of international commercial flights at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Under the system, the green designation denotes that a country has low disease activity; yellow and red designations indicate moderate and high activity, respectively. Entry requirements for travelers vary according to the classification of their country of origin. Authorities plan to re-evaluate the COVID-19 activity levels and update country classifications every two weeks. The list of country classifications is as follows:
- Green: Algeria, Austria, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey
- Yellow: Egypt, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Yemen
- Red: Bahrain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and the US
All travelers entering Jordan must present proof of having tested negative for COVID-19 no more than five days before their scheduled flight, as well as proof that they spent the 14 days prior to travel in the country from which they are departing. Travelers will be tested again at their own expense upon arrival in Jordan. Travelers arriving from “green” countries who test negative for COVID-19 upon arrival will be allowed entry without self-quarantining. Travelers arriving from “yellow” and “red” countries will be required to self-quarantine at their residence or accommodations for one week. Travelers from “red” countries will be required to wear an electronic bracelet during the home quarantine period. Travelers who test positive or fail to present the requisite negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival will be quarantined at a government-run facility for two weeks.
Reports emerged Sept. 30 that authorities decided to extend the home quarantine period to two weeks for those arriving from "red" countries; additional COVID-19 tests will reportedly be conducted on the seventh and fourteenth day of quarantine. However, it was unclear when the measure would enter effect.
On Sept. 27, Jordan reopened the Nasib-Jaber border crossing with Syria to trade after closing in mid-August due to an increase in COVID-19 cases originating in Syria. The reopening was accompanied by new measures, such as back-to-back handling of goods by traders, put in place to limit the risk of exposure to Jordanian customs officials. The Nasib-Jaber crossing is a main thoroughfare for goods traveling from Lebanon and Syria to the Gulf region.
Weddings, funerals, and other social gatherings are limited to 20 people. Participants of such events are required to wear protective face coverings and abide by social-distancing precautions. Authorities announced that they would strictly enforce the gathering limits due to increased COVID-19 activity; organizers of gatherings exceeding 20 people may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment of up to one year.
Domestically, nonessential travel between governorates is now permitted. Hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites nationwide have resumed operations. Public transportation is operating at reduced capacity. Across the country, residents must wear face coverings and gloves while in public places; violators may be subject to fines. Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.
Background and Analysis
Jordan's travel restrictions and preventive measures are similar to those taken by other governments globally in response to the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV). Symptoms occur 1-14 days following exposure (average of 3-7 days). These symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, sometimes worsening to pneumonia and kidney failure - especially in those with underlying medical conditions. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
Advice
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.
Exercise basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.