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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Thursday said that his government will do its utmost to avoid the reintroduction of a kingdom-wide blanket lockdown and said the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases was mainly caused by gatherings over the past two weeks.

Razzaz emphasized that the community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom places a shared responsibility on the government and the public to maintain the health system and protect it from collapse as happened in a number of countries.

Speaking to two local radio stations on Thursday, the prime minister stressed that the main responsibility of the government at the current stage is to ensure that the health system continues to absorb the rising load.

He appealed to the public to avoid gatherings and crowded places and ensure adherence to health safety protocols, namely the use of face masks and social distancing.

In this context, the premier said the world is now convinced that the first line of defense against the pandemic is the use of face masks, noting a "vast" difference between the countries with high public commitment to this particular health protocol and other countries that failed to uphold safety measures.

Razzaz said his government will do its utmost to avoid any return to a nationwide total lockdown, saying such move would have a "heavy cost" on the economy.

"We are determined not to resort to a blanket curfew, but this requires commitment by citizens and institutions, the first of which is government, to public safety measures," the prime minister said.

He stressed that government departments and institutions must be a role model for commitment, indicating that the law will be applied against non-complaint public sector employees.

Razzaz pointed out that His Majesty the King ordered all stakeholders to work as a one team, noting that ministers and security agencies meet on daily basis to ensure decisions are informed by data from the field.

He revealed that the government and the concerned agencies will from time to time take sector-specific measures to reduce gatherings and avoid the reintroduction of a blanket curfew.

With regard to the continued closure of mosques despite the resumption of regular flights to the Queen Alia International Airport, Razzaz said arrivals and departures continues to demonstrate strong commitment to health protocols in place at the airport.

Al-Razzaz said: "We are eager to open all sectors, foremost of which is mosques, because we realize the importance of prayer, especially the Friday prayers, for Jordanians spiritually," indicating that the Ministry of Awqaf is working with the competent authorities to find a formula for all mosques to adhere to public health and safety conditions.

According to Razzaz, the high infection numbers seen in the past few days were a result of gatherings over the past two weeks.

With regard to economic and financial hardships in the private sector, the prime minister said the government is working hand in hand with the Central Bank of Jordan to help private enterprises avoid liquidation or bankruptcy.