Nayrouz News Agency : Forty-four COVID-19 cases, including 29 local infections, were registered in the Kingdom on Saturday, increasing the caseload to 1,576, according to Health Minister Saad Jaber.

The new cases included 28 local infections reported in Amman, of which 25 are contacts of COVID-19 patients, and three cases whose source of infection is under investigation.

A local infection was also registered in Mafraq governorate. The patient is a worker at the Jaber border crossing, who had been in self-quarantine after a number of staff members at the border crossing were diagnosed with COVID-19, the health minister said during a press briefing at the Prime Ministry.

The virus cases from abroad comprised 13 Jordanians — one returning from Qatar, two from Oman, one from Saudi Arabia, two from Turkey and seven from the US — all who have been in quarantine at designated hotels.

Also among the cases were two Jordanian truck drivers who tested positive at the Omari border crossing.

The minister also added that 9,000 virus tests were conducted on Saturday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the beginning of the crisis to 737,273.

Six patients were recovered and discharged from Prince Hamzah Hospital on Saturday, increasing the number of recoveries to 1,285, while leaving 291 still receiving treatment, out of which 141 are in Prince Hamzah Hospital and 139 at the Dead Sea’s quarantine site, the minister said.

The number of local infections registered since Friday, August 7, have reached 263, he said, noting that the Kingdom will witness tightened measures aimed at protecting the public.

He urged the public to abide by protective measures, notably physical distancing, wearing face masks and avoiding gatherings.

He also said that the coronavirus infections related to a church in the Ashrafyieh neighbourhood totalled 17 cases, including 10 cases on Saturday.