Omicron-infected residents in Kingdom to undergo institutional quarantine on government's expense

AMMAN — Adel Bilbeisi, Prime Ministry adviser for epidemiological affairs and the official in charge of the COVID-19 crisis, on Saturday said that any resident in the Kingdom who tests positive for Omicron variant will be institutionally quarantined at the government’s expense, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Jordanians coming from the seven African countries, which witnessed the spread of the mutated Omicron variant, will bear their own quarantine expenses, regardless of the result of the COVID-19 test at Queen Alia International Airport, he added.

He said that recent government decisions prohibit entry of non-Jordanians from seven countries, namely South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mambia, Eswatini and Botswana.

If non-Jordanians from the aforementioned countries wish to visit the Kingdom they are required to have stayed in other countries for a period of 14 days prior to their arrival to Jordan, Bilbeisi said, noting that they will need to present a negative PCR test and be tested again at the airport.

Only confirmed Omicron infections will be announced, and no suspected cases of the mutant will be announced until confirmed. He pointed out that 36 people, who have come into close contact with confirmed Omicron cases in Jordan, were tested and all of the 36 individuals tested negative.