Jordan- Gov't suspends blanket curfew on Fridays-media minister

(MENAFN - Jordan News Agency) Amman, Apr. 28 (Petra)-Minister of State for Media Affairs, Sakher Dudin, announced the suspension of the blanket curfew on Fridays, starting from April 30.The partial night lockdown currently in force round the week will continue unchanged, and citizens will be allowed to go out on foot to perform Isha'a and Taraweeh prayers, according to the minister.The minister said performance of the Isha'a and Taraweeh prayers will start from on Friday, April 30, and for the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the period specified by the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places.Speaking during a joint press conference with the Minister of Health, Firas Hawari, Wednesday evening, held at the Prime Ministry, Dudin said the Eid Al-Fitr holiday will start from next May 11, to 15.Eid al-Fitr prayer will be held at the open squares, which would be determined by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, said the minister.Dudin, who is also the government's official spokesperson, announced public parks and shops established within their yards will reopen, starting from April 30.In this regard, he said the measures announced by the government on Wednesday are the "solely possible" options to be taken during this stage, and will undergo continuous evaluation, in light of the developments in the Kingdom's epidemiological situation.The government decided to mitigate the current restrictive measures despite the "worrisome" epidemiological situation that the Kingdom is battling, in response to parliamentary demands made in a memorandum signed by 95 deputies calling for easing the gov't Covid-indiced restrictions previously taken, within the framework of partnership and "positive, fruitful" cooperation with the Lower House.Continuing: "While we are fully aware that easing the restrictions will increase the pressure on Jordan's health system, whose workers fatigued. The government appreciates the citizens' difficult conditions, both economically and psychologically."Dudin said the major goal of all the government's restrictive measures, and the drive to increase Cvid-19 vaccinations, aim to reach the desired safe summer, which is a goal that the gov't is working to deliver at the beginning of next July.The minister referred to the government plan for the gradual reopening of sectors, which depends on preserving criteria, foremost is the clinical occupancy rate for intensive care beds (ICB), "so that it does not exceed 65%, and otherwise the government will have to resort to restrictive measures."Dudin also affirmed the government's keenness to resume in-class learning in schools and universities with the beginning of next September, indicating that a campaign had begun to give vaccines to approximately 160,000 male and female teachers before the beginning of the first semester during next September, through a a facilitated campaign aiming to vaccinate teachers at their schools, emanating from keenness on the safety of the teachers school students.In response to a question about the incentive pavkage to public and private sector employees issued by the National Center for Security and Crisis Management, which was circulated on social media, Dudin said "these ideas are not approved yet, but the government will study them," adding that some are "applicable" and some others aren't.Any such incentives will be announced by the government in a timely manner, he said.In this context, he stressed that the plan to open the sectors in the future requires administering Covid-19 vaccine to its workers. AG28/04/2021 21:12:27 MENAFN28042021000117011021ID1101997134