AMMAN — Two years after the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic, officials have begun rolling back health measures — a move
that met mixed reactions from experts and the public.
اضافة اعلان
According to the latest data, Jordan
marked 9,135 new
COVID cases between March 12 and March 18, a 64 percent
decrease compared to the preceding week (March 5–11).
Additionally, the positivity rate dropped
almost 10 percentage points in the same period, and currently stands at 12.08.
In remarks to
Jordan News, Mahdi Al-Aqrabawi, the head of the Jordan Medical Association, said that the lifting
of restrictions came at the right time, but added that the more severe of the
COVID regulations should have ended a long time ago.
He acknowledged that lifting the health
measures will have an impact on public heath, but contended that it would be a
“controllable” one. He stressed that hospitals would be able to keep pace with
the current rate of infections.
For his part, economist
Yousef Damra praised
the government’s decision to lift public health measures, explaining that if
the strict measures were to continue, “the high cost of shipping and the rising
prices of materials ... would be a heavier burden” on the commercial sector.
The easing of procedures will ease
commercial operations and have a “positive, albeit minor, effect on citizens’
purchasing power,” he contended.
Mufleh Aqel, also an economist, said the
impact of the lifting of restrictions would be “positive”, and that the results
would be quickly visible.
He argued that people’s ability to shop
without limitations, gather publically, and host celebrations would help push
the Jordanian market forward.
However, for some, the government has not
gone far enough in lifting public health restrictions. Head of the Syndicate of
Restaurant and Sweets Shop Owners Omar Awwad told
Jordan News that because
people are still required to wear masks in closed spaces, the positive effect
on restaurants will be minimal.
Additionally, the spike in the price of
goods will not encourage people to spend at restaurants, he said. Awwad said
the suspension of the Defense Law entirely would boost the country’s economic
situation.
Read more National news
.jpg)
.jpg)
