New medical lab to be launched at Jaber Border Crossing

Jordan

Published: 2020-08-24 15:15

Last Updated: 2024-03-25 09:41


From the archives
From the archives

A new Ministry of Health laboratory will open at the Jaber Border Crossing on Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Saad Jaber, told Al-Mamlaka TV on Monday.

The decision came after a number of local COVID-19 cases were recorded among employees at the border.

A decision was made by Minister of Interior, Salama Hammad, to close the Jaber Border Crossing, for two weeks starting August 13.

"The mistake was made by one individual, who could not be identified," he said.

He said there is a lack of quarantine spaces and commitment at the border crossing but the staff, laboratories and working mechanisms have been changed.

Jaber said the government was expecting a rise in the number of local cases, but in the second half of September.

Students can return to school on September 1, as long as strict health and safety measures are implemented.

In order to maintain students’ academic levels, main subjects will be taught inside classes, while the rest of the subjects will be taught remotely — students will go to schools three times a week.

Jaber said classes with less than 20 students will be allowed to go to school on a daily basis and he believes first graders will go to school once or twice a week.

Recess, sports and art classes will be cancelled and the duration of classes will be determined based on the health situation.

Jaber said there are four COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit, one of which is on breathing support.

The Ministry of Health added 120 more beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bringing the total number to 440, he said.

The Royal Medical Services has also increased the number of ICU beds to 80,.

"We had 1,500 ventilators, and His Majesty King Abdullah II gave us 600 devices to use, including 300 for the Ministry of Health and 300 for the [Royal] Medical Services," he said.

Jaber met with the Russian Ambassador in Amman and discussed the vaccine, which be evaluated by the COVID-19 Committee.

Moscow is expected to start producing the vaccine commercially towards the end of October, he said.