An angry crowd gathers outside Al Hussein Al Salt Hospital in Al Salt, Jordan after several Covid-19 patients died there on March 13, 2021 due to a shortage of oxygen supplies. AP
An angry crowd gathers outside Al Hussein Al Salt Hospital in Al Salt, Jordan after several Covid-19 patients died there on March 13, 2021 due to a shortage of oxygen supplies. AP
An angry crowd gathers outside Al Hussein Al Salt Hospital in Al Salt, Jordan after several Covid-19 patients died there on March 13, 2021 due to a shortage of oxygen supplies. AP
An angry crowd gathers outside Al Hussein Al Salt Hospital in Al Salt, Jordan after several Covid-19 patients died there on March 13, 2021 due to a shortage of oxygen supplies. AP

Jordan government hints at full lockdown to stem Covid-19 surge


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

Jordanian authorities are considering imposing a full lockdown in the country after a surge in coronavirus cases and a crackdown on demonstrations sparked by nine deaths related to the pandemic at a government hospital.

The coronavirus crisis cell of the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management has recommended a lockdown of several weeks, government spokesman Sakher Dudin told state television on Thursday.

He said the government had rented two private hospitals to help relieve coronavirus wards at public hospitals that are at full capacity.

Under an emergency law invoked in March last year, the government can “put its hands” on private hospitals, he said.

Official data shows that 19 to 20 per cent of people who took PCR tests in Jordan this week tested positive for the virus, a figure health officials said indicates a runaway contagion.

Several members of Jordan’s parliament demanded on Thursday that the authorities release dozens of people arrested during protests in several cities this week. The demonstrators were demanding the removal of the government after the deaths of the nine coronavirus patients after a the oxygen supply ran out at state hospital in the city of Al Salt.

The tragedy prompted King Abdullah to dismiss the heath minister, days after he replaced the interior and justice minister for publicly breaching virus rules they were supposed to enforce.

The authorities last week imposed new virus restrictions, halted Friday prayers and extended bans on movement and business hours.

Health authorities have reported an average of about 9,000 new cases a day in past weeks. Officials say the contagion has spread more widely than the figures suggest.

There have been more than 5,500 confirmed Covid-19 deaths so far in the country of about 10,000,000 people.

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

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What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.

Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.

People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.

There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.

The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.

 

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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