The Jordanian government is scrambling to reinstate partial lockdown measures in a bid to contain what medical experts here described as a third wave of the coronavirus, the worst the country has seen since the World Health Organization sounded the pandemic warning a year ago. On March 10 the government extended the night curfew, maintained the full Friday lockdown, suspended Friday and Sunday prayers and closed restaurants, parks and sports clubs until the end of March. The day before, the government suspended in-class teaching in schools and universities until further notice.
Minister of State for Media Affairs Sakher Dudin said on March 9 that the government would avoid imposing extended lockdowns so as not to exasperate the country's economic situation. Jordan was hailed last year for imposing a full nationwide lockdown that quickly contained the spread of the virus.
