The Al Husseini mosque in Amman, Jordan. Getty
The Al Husseini mosque in Amman, Jordan. Getty
The Al Husseini mosque in Amman, Jordan. Getty
The Al Husseini mosque in Amman, Jordan. Getty

Jordan relaxes Covid-19 restrictions with view to reopening economy


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

A coronavirus curfew in Jordan will ease at the start of Eid Al Fitr this week, the government said on Sunday.

The government said the decision to reduce the daily curfew by three hours is in line with its goal to “arrive at a safe summer in which all sectors and economic activity would have returned to normal”.

The curfew will start at 10pm and finish at 6am, instead of the current 7pm to 6am curfew, it said.

The decision is the latest official measure to relax virus rules, after Jordan experienced a surge of deaths and infections this year.

The government says the crisis has become less severe.

The kingdom of 10 million people has been in recession since last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic and a decade of economic stagnation.

Unemployment is officially at a record high of 24 per cent.

Last month, the authorities cancelled a Friday daytime curfew and allowed Friday prayers, after months of increased restrictions imposed to try to curb a surge of the coronavirus.

The authorities say deaths and infections have been falling for several weeks.

The latest official data shows 16 deaths and 743 infections in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 9,092.

There have been 719,976 people who tested positive for the virus in the kingdom.

But doctors say many more people have been infected, most of whom have not been tested.

The exact date for Eid Al Fitr has not been set in Jordan, but it is widely expected to start on Thursday.

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

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5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

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