With the holy month of Ramadan just around the corner, Bakery Owners Association President Abdul Ilah Hamawi called on the government to allow bakeries to provide delivery services during the curfew.

In a phone interview with The Jordan Times on Monday, Hamawi said: "During Ramadan, people usually like to buy bread and must-have Ramadan pastries and sweets a little before the time of Iftar [fast breaking meal], so they would be fresh and warm when people break their fast.”

Allowing bakeries to deliver after 6pm, would decrease bakery overcrowding, especially on Thursdays before the Friday lockdown and before the curfew starts on weekdays, he said.

"Bakery delivery services will also allow citizens to shop easily and at anytime, instead of having to queue up in front of the bakeries,” he noted.

Furthermore, Hamawi said that the sector is ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan, while pointing out that bakeries not only sell bread, but also sweets and pastries like many restaurants do.

During the holy month there is no high demand for Arabic bread, because people tend to buy Ramadan special bread with sesame seeds, Hamawi said.

"We hope that the government permits the sector to deliver and serves the people during curfew hours,” Hamawi said, adding that delivery services can help ensure physical distancing, thereby preventing the spread of the virus.