64 COVID deaths, 5,268 virus cases recorded Sunday

AMMAN — Sixty-four COVID-19 deaths and 5,268 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Sunday, increasing the caseload to 183,429, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom’s coronavirus death toll to 2,236, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 1,699 infections in Amman, 1,441 in Irbid, 661 in Jerash, 372 in Balqa, 371 in Zarqa, 268 in Aqaba, 162 in Karak, 138 in Tafileh, 85 in Maan, 46 in Mafraq, 23 in Madaba and two cases in Ajloun.

The statement added that there are currently 67,175 active COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom.

A total of 249 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Sunday, taking the number of patients currently receiving care for COVID-19 in hospitals to 2,153, of which 446 patients are in ICUs.

The statement added that 5,665 people left hospitals and recovered in home quarantine, bringing the total number of recoveries to 114,018.

A total of 23,953 virus tests were also conducted on Sunday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered to 2,358,229, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 22 per cent, the statement added.

Amid the growing number of local infections, the Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people.

The ministry also highlighted the “Aman” (Safety) application for smartphones, which alerts users if they come into contact with a COVID-19 positive person, as well as “Sahtak” (your health) application, which provides users with the latest information and news related to COVID-19, in addition to guidelines and warnings pertaining to the Kingdom’s epidemiological situation.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its “I protect them” awareness campaign, which encourages people to protect their families and communities from the virus.