Jordan king says virus ‘under control’

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Sunday that his country had successfully brought the novel coronavirus “under control” and that it was time to focus on restarting the economy.

“We have successfully dealt with the coronavirus, which today is under control in Jordan,” he said during a meeting with prominent Jordanians.

“But like every country in the world we have paid an economic price, and the time has come to focus... on the economic situation,” a palace statement quoted him as saying.

The desert kingdom, which has recorded 1,179 cases of the virus including 10 deaths, imposed a tough curfew enforced with drones to curb the spread of COVID-19, before easing policies in early June.

King Abdullah said that Jordan would “come out stronger (from the crisis) compared to other countries in the region”.

Health authorities have almost daily been reporting new cases among Jordanians and foreigners entering the country.