Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh on Monday chaired a meeting to review the current "critical” epidemiological situation, which witnessed unprecedented escalation, plummeting to dangerous levels.

The meeting was held in the presence of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, General Intelligence Department (GID) Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, Minister of State for Media Affairs Sakher Dudin, Minister of Interior and acting Health Minister Mazen Faraiah and Public Security Directorate (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh.

The discussion revolved around the conditions of field hospitals, hospitals in the public and private sectors, in addition to hospitals affiliated with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF)

All of the said hospitals have become under severe pressure due to the increasing number of cases requiring treatment, in addition to cases needing urgent care and ventilators, they noted, highlighting that a number of hospitals are currently close to reaching an occupancy rate of 100 per cent.

Khasawneh stressed that preserving the lives of citizens and safeguarding their health and safety is the first priority, reaffirming the necessity to enforce the law and implement defence orders to break the infection cycle of the pandemic.

He directed the interior minister, through administrators and security forces to enforce the law across the Kingdom.

The meeting also focused on the developments of the national inoculation programme and the measures that have been taken to accelerate the process of receiving vaccines, ensuring providing the largest number of safe and effective vaccines to the largest number of people.

He noted that adherence to health measures and upholding the law may lead to reopen sectors gradually return to normal life by next summer.