The head of the Epidemic Assessment Committee, Saad Al-Kharabsheh, said Tuesday on Jordan TV that Jordan is still in the red zone of the coronavirus outbreak, noting that the total number of coronavirus cases and deaths since the beginning of pandemic is 600,000 and 6,600 as of Monday evening, respectively.

He pointed out that the current week (COVID-19 week no. 13, as Kharabsheh called it) in its first three days, showed COVID-19 infections decreasing, explaining that for this week, there have been around 20,000 cases, with PCR positivity rates of 16.2 percent, in comparison to last week at 18.7 percent.

The week before had an average positivity rate of 18.9 percent.

Kharabsheh indicated that if the pattern continues regarding the decrease in PCR positivity rates and COVID-19 cases, then it is safe to say "we reached the peak of the [wave] in the twelfth week that ended Friday."

He noted that in the first wave of the pandemic, Jordan reached its peak eight weeks in.

Kharabsheh predicted that Jordan has already reached the peak of the second coronavirus wave Friday, which was also towards the end of the eighth week of the current wave. This is shown through the lower PCR positivity rates witnessed this week, he added.

He expected the current curve to stabilize after the eighth week, and to return to a PCR positivity rate under five percent, based on indicators of the prior wave which struck the Kingdom.

However, Kharabsheh stressed that Jordan witnessing the flattening of the curve does not mean that the Kingdom is out of the 'red zone.' 

"All possibilities are expected," he said, noting that in the largest countries in the world, including European ones, over two waves were witnessed amid the absence of adequate vaccination campaigning.

Vaccinating the most amount of people would reduce the number of individuals who are susceptible to the virus, said Kharabsheh.

Additionally, Kharabsheh noted that the South African coronavirus variant has yet to arrive on Jordanian soil. There is no evidence that it has been discovered in Jordan, he said.