Nayrouz News Agency : Jordan registered nine new coronavirus cases on Monday, none of which were locally transmitted, bringing the total number of cases recorded in Jordan to 1,042, according to a press briefing issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The new cases include eight Jordanians who recently arrived in the Kingdom from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan and the US and have been in quarantine.

A non-Jordanian truck driver arriving in the Kingdom from the Omari border crossing also tested positive, the statement said.

Also on Monday, 12 COVID-19 patients recovered in Jordan, 11 of whom were discharged from Prince Hamzah Hospital and one from Queen Alia Military Hospital.

A total of 5,264 virus tests were carried out on Monday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the Kingdom to date to 336,133.

The Ministry of Health renewed its call on citizens to use the "Aman” (Safety) application, which alerts users if they come into contact with a person infected with the virus.

The ministry also urged those who have received alerts from the app to "quickly visit specialised health centres and laboratories” for testing.

Also on Monday, Minister of Health Saad Jaber handed over an official request to representatives of the Cambridge-based British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine whenever it is manufactured and is proven to be effective, according to a Health Ministry statement. 

During his meeting with AstraZeneca’s representatives in Jordan, Jaber said that the Kingdom submitted an official request based on a mechanism to ensure that Jordan is prioritised when a vaccine has been manufactured and officially approved by internationally accredited research centres.

Jaber noted that the ministry has also contacted the parent company, which is researching and manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine, to ensure that the Kingdom obtains the vaccine when it becomes available.