PM : Gov’t to set safety criteria for mosques, restaurants reopening
27-09-2020 07:16 AM
Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Sunday announced that his government will this week set health safety criteria that will allow for the reopening of mosques and churches and the restart of dine-in services at restaurants and cafes once those in charge of these entities undertake to uphold such standards.
"Control and inspection teams and police will carry out intensive monitoring campaigns, and every entity found non-compliant will be closed immediately, and those in charge of it will be held accountable in accordance with defense orders," Razzaz said in a weekly Sunday address to the nation.
He indicated that the entities that neither meet the conditions nor undertake to comply with them will remain closed, saying: "This is how we guarantee justice."
Razzaz said action had been already taken against government employees and visitors in 46 government entities last week after they were found in violation of health protocols.
The prime minister said that after the Kingdom reached the community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the "battle today has become a battle for vigilance and commitment".
Razzaz pointed out that the pandemic had highlighted the importance of self-reliance, investment in local resources and broader youth engagement in all productive sectors.
In this context, the premier noted that self-reliance and youth employment, especially in agriculture, will figure high on the cabinet's agenda this week.
He said that his government has already started preparing a number of programs and projects aimed at pushing for employment in the agricultural sector.
Razzaz said four of these projects are related to increasing the area of arable land in several governorates (117,000 donums in Ma'an, Aqaba, Mafraq and Zarqa), and offering training to the people of these regions and the Jordan Valley on the introduction of technology in agriculture.
Furthermore, other projects will be geared towards improving agricultural products quality through the establishment of an agricultural business center, in addition to expanding the marketing opportunity of agricultural associations.
In this area, Razzaz noted that work is underway to set up an 8,000-sqm permanent exhibition for badia and countryside products in a vital location in Amman, adding that the expo is projected to provide about 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.