Jordan sees 16 virus cases, including 14 local infections, Monday

AMMAN — Sixteen COVID-19 cases, among them 14 local infections, were registered in the Kingdom on Monday, increasing the caseload to 1,268, according to Health Minister Saad Jaber.

The local infections included six cases from Irbid, of which five work at the Jaber border crossing, while the sixth case is a person who contracted the infection from a COVID-19 positive patient, Jaber said during a joint press briefing with Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh.

The local cases also included four infections in Amman, who are the grandsons of a COVID-19 patient from Irbid. 

Also among the domestic infections are two people, one from Maan and the other from Jerash, who work at the Jaber border crossing, he said.

Another two workers at the Jaber border crossing were also tested positive for the virus, whose source of infection is under investigation, the minister said.

Two Jordanians returning from abroad — one from Ukraine and the other from Kuwait — who have been in quarantine at designated hotels, are among the new infections, he added. 

The minister added that no recoveries were reported on Monday, while 6,286 virus tests were conducted, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the beginning of the crisis to 652,759.

The number of local infections during the past four days totalled 24, the minister said, adding that the cases were related to cases reported at the Jaber border crossing, he said.

Highlighting the government's efforts towards containing the coronavirus outbreak, Jaber said that a total of 73 individuals were arrested on Sunday on charges of trying to escape from quarantine sites, while others who allegedly use alcohol-based material to circumvent COVID-19 tests were also arrested.