Ammon News -

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh and top officials on Monday held a meeting discussing the current "critical" epidemiological situation after the daily caseload hit a new record high of more than 9,400 infections and 82 deaths.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, Director of the of the General Intelligence Department Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, State Minister for Media Affairs Sakher Dudin, Minister of Interior, Mazen Farraya who is currently administering the ministry of health, and Director of the Public Security Department Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh.

The meeting discussed the situation at public and private hospitals as well as field hospitals run by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, all of which are now under severe pressure due to the increasing number of cases that need treatment, in addition to cases that need intensive care and artificial respirators. Also, some hospitals are now close to 100% of their occupancy capacity.

The Prime Minister stressed that protecting the lives of citizens, their health and safety is the top priority, emphasizing the need to enforce the law, instructions and defense orders in order to break the cycle of this fierce pandemic.

Khasawneh ordered the minister of interior, security agencies and local governors to enforce the law and instructions in all governorates and areas of the Kingdom, in order to preserve the health and safety of citizens, and to ward off any further spread of the pandemic in a way that would negatively impact the health system or place additional pressure on hospitals and medical personnel who continue to work around the clock.

The meeting also dealt with the national vaccination program against the coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to ramp up inoculation and ensuring the availability of the largest number of safe and efficient vaccines.

In this regard, the Prime Minister stressed that providing and taking vaccines, in addition to full and serious commitment to infection controls and protocols as well as adherence to defense orders are the way to confront this pandemic which he said is the fiercest on humanity for nearly a hundred years, and "may lead us to gradually reopen sectors and return to normal life by next summer.