Jordan to reopen to ‘low risk’ countries in August

Jordan will reopen its airports to commercial flights next month after a near five-month shutdown imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, an official says.

The move comes as the country is trying to revive its economy which has been badly hit since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Civil aviation commission chief Haitham Misto tells state television that flights from 22 “low risk” countries will be allowed from August 5.

The countries listed by the health ministry include Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Thailand, he says.

Travelers from those countries will not need to isolate for 14 days when they reach Jordan but must be tested for the virus before arriving, Misto says, adding that the list would be updated every two weeks.

Transport Minister Khaled Saif however says that those travelers must show proof of having spent two weeks in one of the countries on the list before arriving in Jordan.

Anyone providing false information will be fined 10,000 dinars ($14,000), he says.

— AFP