New governmental decisions took effect in Jordan to confront the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, at 12am, as the government has announced on Monday a set of measures following the high number of COVID-19 infections.

The new measures include:

• All schools will switch to distant learning and suspend students' attendence for two weeks, with the exception of the first grades and Tawjihi.
• Restaurants and cafes will not be allowed to operate, except for pickup and delivery.
• Closure of mosques and churches in all governorates of the Kingdom.
• Closure of all street markets in all governorates of the Kingdom.
• Assigning the Minister of Local Administration and the Mayor of Amman to set up a mechanism to regulate the functioning of central markets, to ensure the prevention of overcrowding and that safety and preventive measures are taken.
• The Judicial Council, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, have taken measures to ensure the prevention of overcrowding, and that safety and preventive measures in the courts are applied.
• Strict penalties will be imposed on people holding celebrations, weddings, funerals or any other gatherings.

In addition, the Prime Ministry took a number of decisions to confront COVID-19, which include:

• Tightening control over all forms of gatherings and coordinating with administrative rulers and security agencies to prevent any gathering, under penalty of legal responsibility.
• Emphasizing on ministries, public institutions and government departments to reduce the number of their employees to a minimum, and to the extent that guarantees the continuity of providing services to citizens; and that the authority rotates time between the employees, and determines the permanence of a group of them remotely, depending on the nature of their work.
• Meetings in ministries, departments, governmental institutions and public bodies are held remotely, and in the fewest possible numbers; Including Prime Ministry sessions that will be held virtually, starting next Tuesday.
• Preventing hospital visits until further notice.