Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said Tuesday that by swiftly sealing the country's border and imposing one of the harshest lockdowns in the world, "we flattened the good scenario", Razzaz says.

Razzaz said in an interview with the "Guardian" that Jordan is "among the lucky countries" along with New Zealand and Thailand that have managed to stem the spread of the novel and highly contagious coronavirus.

He said that "We had a worst scenario, a medium scenario and a good scenario," highlighting that the small, resource-poor Middle Eastern kingdom’s health system could absorb, at most, about 200 new coronavirus cases a day.

The Premier said that the kingdom has had 11 deaths in total and is only reporting cases among new arrivals from overseas and the medical staff treating them, saying that by swiftly sealing the country's border and imposing one of the harshest lockdowns in the world, "we flattened the good scenario."

Razzaz expressed his concern over the challenge posed in maintaining "zero cases" against the backof reopening the country, saying It’s hard to maintain that discipline when your numbers are zero, basically, inside the country. Which is good but dangerous."

Staying sealed off until a vaccine is discovered is not an easy thing, especially that an approval for a vaccine is unlikely to happen until the end of the year. After being signed off, it will take months to be distributed to the entire world.

Jordan has been reluctant to reopen its airport quickly, Razzaz said, highlighting the importance of mulling over the pertinent risks.

He said that the country is bracing for a second coronavirus wave especially in light of the regional developments.