Coronavirus: Jordan to allow flights from 10 'low risk' countries

Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus and Thailand are among nations from which some commercial flights will resume next month

epa08498827 Jordan domestic tourists pose for a souvenir photo in front of the Treasury building at the reopened Petra archeological site, in Petra, some 280 km south of Amman, Jordan, 20 June 2020. Petra archeological site is one of the landmarks of Jordan tourism sector, the former Nabatean capital which dates back to about 200 BC, attracted in 2019, according to official figures, about 1,13 million visitors from all over the world. Following the start of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Jordan, the last tourist left Petra on 16 March. Since then its some 200 guides, 1,500 horse and donkey owners, hotels, restaurant and tourist stalls workers stayed without a fixed revenue. As Jordan tourism sites have officially reopened to domestic tourism on 16 June, locals flocked on 20 June to visit Petra in quiet surroundings without the big tourist buses.  EPA/ANDRE PAIN
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Jordan will reopen its airport next month to commercial flights from 10 countries deemed to have “low-risk” coronavirus levels, a government spokesman said.

Amjad Al Adayleh told the official news agency that a list of “green countries” from which flights will be allowed into Queen Alia International Airport, the kingdom’s main airport south of Amman, include Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Hong Kong and Thailand.

No date has been set for the reopening, he said.

Mr Al Adayleh said any resident or national of the 10 countries “with a low risk pandemic situation will be allowed entry into Jordan”.

Travellers from these destinations will not be subjected to quarantine so long as they have undergone a Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival, he said.

Mr Al Adayleh said that Jordan is a “moderate risk” country, citing continued infections from within the kingdom.

He said a major indicator of whether the coronavirus risk in Jordan could decrease would be 10 days passing without recording a single case traced to local sources of infection.

“The danger is still there despite recording a limited number of local cases lately,” Mr Al Adayleh said.

Jordan lifted most coronavirus-related bans last month but an overnight curfew remains in place and gatherings of more than 20 people are not allowed. The government said this week that schools would be allowed to reopen in September.

Official data shows that 1,200 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Jordan and 10 deaths have been recorded.