Jordan to imprison, fine people who hold large gatherings

Sep 18, 2020

The Jordanian government says it will imprison or fine anyone holding large gatherings as the country contends with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Jordan issued a defense order stipulating that people cannot hold weddings, mourning rituals or any event with more than 20 people, the state-owned Jordan Times reported Thursday. For gatherings under 20 people, attendees must socially distance, wear masks and refrain from shaking hands, among other measures.

Anyone who breaks the order faces imprisonment from three months to a year or a fine between 1,000 and 3,000 Jordanian dinars ($1,410-$4,230), or both, according to the publication.

The Hashemite Kingdom is in the middle of an outbreak of the coronavirus. For months, Jordan’s total confirmed cases were under 1,500 — significantly below the figures in some of its neighbors. Infections began to rise rapidly in late August, according to Worldometer.

Jordan registered 213 new cases today, including 104 in the capital, Amman, the state-run Al-Mamlaka news outlet reported. This brings the number of cases Jordan has recorded to 4,344. It also recorded three new deaths for a total of 29.