Thirteen COVID-19 deaths and 891 coronavirus cases, including 889 local infections, were recorded on Sunday, Health Minister in the caretaker government Saad Jaber announced.

The reported fatalities took the Kingdom's death toll to 101, Jaber said.

He added that COVID fatalities included people above 60 years old with chronic health conditions, a 48-year-old man diagnosed with stomach tumour, as well a young man in his 20s, who was hospitalised in critical condition with meningitis.

The local cases comprised 606 infections in Amman, 19 in Karak, 46 in Balqa, 130 in Zarqa, five in Maan, four in Ajloun, 18 in Madaba, four in Mafraq, 13 in Jerash, 24 in Irbid, one in Aqaba and 19 in Tafileh.

Speaking during a joint press briefing, the minister said that two cases from abroad were registered among individuals returning to the Kingdom. 

The total number of local infections since August, 7 of 2020 has totalled 14,038, Jaber said, adding that 139 recoveries were registered on Sunday, including 32 from Prince Hamzah Hospital, 97 from the Dead Sea isolation sites, a case from Queen Alia Hospital, four cases from King Abdullah University Hospital and five from Istiklal Hospital, leaving 1,048 infections under treatment in accredited hospitals.

A total of 216 COVID-19 patients are receiving treatment in Prince Hamzah Hospital, 616 at the Dead Sea isolation sites, 73 in Queen Alia Hospital, 23 in Jordan University Hospital, 10 in King Abdullah University Hospital, 32 at the directorates of the Royal Medical Services (RMS), five in the King Hussein Cancer Centre, 35 in Issra Hospital and 38 in Al Istiklal Hospital 

A total of 20,381 random virus tests were also conducted on Sunday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered to nearly 1,300,000.

Also speaking during the press briefing, RMS Director General Brig. Gen. Adel Wahadneh said that over the past eight months, one to two per cent of COVID-19 inpatients were admitted to intensive care units, lower than the 5 per cent global rate. 

If the number of COVID-19 cases in Jordan reaches 5,000 cases per day, the Kingdom would need 300 ventilators per month to provide treatment to 600 patients, as the average length of hospital stay is about 15 days, he said.

The number of available artificial respirators allocated for coronavirus treatment in Jordan is 445, which covers the expected number of infections, in addition to the availability of 100 additional artificial respirators.

Jaber also reviewed the Health Ministry's efforts during the past six months to improve the health system's preparedness to receive COVID-19 cases, highlighting the increase in the Kingdom's production of face masks, the introduction of manufacturing face shields and protective clothing, among others.

Big laboratories prepared to provide COIVID-19 tests will be established in Irbid, Zarqa, Aqaba, Ghor Al Safi and Al Bashir Hospital, he said, noting that the number of epidemiological investigation teams has increased from 15 to 400, including 250 teams in the Ministry of Health, 100 teams in the RMS and 50 in the other medical partners. 

The ministry also reduced the cost of PCR tests at private labs from JD45 to JD35, as of Monday, he added, stressing that the government has put a price limit for overnight stay in private hospitals, a maximum of JD250 for the first class and JD150 for the second, adding that the ministry will follow up on the hospitals' commitment.