Jordan's King Abdullah II chairs coronavirus teleconference

Officials in Jordan announced on Sunday that work at ministries, institutions, commissions and official departments will be halted from 2 May until the end of Ramadan, amongst efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Amjad Adaileh, a spokesperson for the Jordan government, also confirmed public transport will start to resume in all regions of the country from Wednesday but with a 50 per cent reduced workforce.

Jordan's King Abdullah II chaired a tele-conference meeting with Jordanian officials on Sunday, where he urged balancing the gradual reopening of economic sectors with the protection of public health and safety, a Royal Court statement said.

He also called for random testing of coronavirus on people across the Kingdom, the statement added.

The country's Health Minister, Saad Jaber, said there had been three more cases of the virus reported on Sunday.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, Jordan has 447 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.