Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Health, Dr. Sa'ad Jaber, announced that 239 new Covid-19 cases, including 231 local infections, were recorded in the Kingdom, bringing the cumulative number of infections hospitalized since the start of the pandemic to 4,779.

The imported cases involve 8 arrivals at quarantine hotels-1 from Egypt, 4 from Palestine, one arrived the country for medical tourism, 1 from the United States, 1 from Saudi Arabia and 1 from Kuwait, said Jaber.
As for the domestic cases, 149 cases were recorded in the capital, 22 in Karak, 13 in Balqa, 5 in Irbid, 23 in Zarqa, 12 in Ma'an, 1 in Ajloun , and 6 in Mafraq, Jaber pointed out.
Speaking during a press briefing held on Sunday, at the Prime Ministry, he said the total caseload since last August 7 has reached 3270.

Today, 172 patients have recovered-146 in the Dead Sea isolation area, 18 in Prince Hamzah Hospital, and 8 in Queen Alia Hospital, raising cumulative recovery total to 2,851 cases, Jaber noted.
The epidemiological investigation teams also administered 13437 tests, bringing the cumulative total to 1070621, he noted.

Based on the epidemiological committee's recommendation and the Cabinet's decision, Jaber instructed the competent authorities to quarantine children who are in isolation areas in their homes after their parents sign a letter of undertaking to apply the relevant quarantine conditions.

For his part, the spokesperson for the National Committee for Epidemics (NCE), Dr. Nathir Obeidat, said the NCE is "closely" following up the epidemiological developments of the disease globally, regionally and locally.

According to Obeidat, the committee’s recommendations are based on the "scientific" evidence to help the decision-makers, adding recommendations are "dynamically changing and evolving in the stages of the pandemic and the new data on the epidemiological map."

The new data on the epidemiological map indicate the disease has entered the stage of community spread in Jordan, which necessitates reviewing the strategies, plans and policies currently in place to suit this development, Obeidat pointed out.

Speaking during the joint Covid-19 presser, Obaidat said the NCE is working on reviewing and updating an "integrated" plan to handle quarantine, home isolation, monitoring plan, follow-up monitoring, contact tracking, laboratory tests, treatment protocol, and capacity building of health institutions.

The committee, Obeidat noted, has recommended implementation of home isolation on children and health personnel, namely doctors, nurses, pharmacists and visitors of healthcare facilities.

The health teams possess the technical skills necessary to prevent infection and safeguard their health, according to Obeidat.

Obeidat also noted home isolation could be "expanded in the future" to include wider categories of Covid-19 patients, adding the NCE has begun formulating home quarantine criteria, instructions, and conditions.