Nayrouz News Agency : Jordan on Sunday registered four new cases of coronavirus, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 417, while three southern governorates will witness ease in curfew restrictions starting on Wednesday, according to authorities.

The new cases include the wife and a daughter of a man who was previously infected with the virus, while the two others contracted the disease from their brother who returned to the Kingdom from Sweden, according to Health Minister Saad Jaber.

During the daily press briefing broadcast live from the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management, Jaber noted that seven people left hospital after recovering from the virus, increasing the total number of recovered cases to 276 and leaving 134 patients still receiving treatment at hospitals.

The Kingdom, at the beginning of the crisis, was able to conduct 250 tests per day through seven epidemiological investigation teams, and now conducts some 2,500 tests through more than 150 teams, he said.

Jaber noted that the Kingdom’s ability to produce protective clothing increased from 2,000 units to 1,000,000, and Jordan’s production of masks went up from zero at the beginning of the crisis to some 150,000 masks per day, with the amount expected to increase to 1,000,000 daily within 10 days.  

Also speaking during the briefing, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said that the government will ease curfew procedures in Karak, Tafileh and Maan as of Wednesday, implementing procedures similar to those in Aqaba.

Adaileh noted that each of the four southern governorates will be closed and isolated from the others, adding that these procedures will apply for three days as a test, which will be reviewed with normal curfew procedures re-imposed as necessary.

He noted that intensified communications have been in place over the past two days to pay daily newspapers for judicial and government advertisements, which were not paid before due to curfew regulations.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri announced during the briefing that the government will reopen some industrial sectors as of Tuesday at 30-per-cent capacity for facilities with 10 or more employees, while only three employees will be allowed to work in facilities with fewer than 10 workers.

Hammouri listed car repairand electricity shops, furniture, bookshops and stationery, prints and print papers as some of the entities that will resume work.

These businesses will be allowed to work between 10am and 6pm, he said, noting that sectors will be opened and closed based on developments regarding the pandemic in the Kingdom.

Also during the press briefing, Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ said that the Treasury is still able to meet domestic and foreign needs, adding that the government during the crisis has provided JD150 million to the private sector as a payment for late due amounts, which provided additional liquidity in the market.

Al-Ississ said that the government on Monday will disburse April salaries to public employees, and will disburse May salaries before the Eid Al Fitr holiday, expected around May 25.