Jordan fears third wave and Omicron spread will batter fragile recovery

Official data shows infections rising sharply

Indian students apply the finishing touches to paintings created to raise awareness of the variant in Mumbai. Reuters

International travellers wearing personal protective equipment arrive at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport as Australia records its first cases of the Omicron variant. AFP

A greeting at the international terminal of Sydney Airport, as countries respond to the new variant. Reuters

A sign asking people to wear face coverings in a building in Manhattan as the newly discovered Omicron variant appears in countries around the world. AFP

Tourists wave as the ‘Europa’ passenger liner arrives in South African waters off Cape Town as the new coronavirus variant Omicron spreads in other countries. Reuters

Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Dutch health authorities said they have found another case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant among passengers arriving from South Africa, bringing the country’s total to 14. AFP

Pupils wear face masks in Beijing. Despite the global worry, scientists say it remains unclear whether the Omicron variant is more dangerous than other strains of the virus. AP

People wearing face masks in Manhattan. New York's governor has declared a state of emergency due to the risk of a surge of Covid-19 cases as winter sets in. AFP

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid meets a member of staff at a vaccine centre in Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London. Getty Images

A sign points the way to a Covid-19 test centre at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. AFP

Narita International Airport in Japan is quiet after travel was restricted to prevent the spread of Omicron. Reuters

A PCR test at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. AFP

Soekarno Hatta International airport. Indonesia has banned the arrival of travellers who have recently been in eight southern African countries. Reuters

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok after Thailand banned entry from eight southern African countries due to the Omicron variant. Reuters

Travellers wear personal protective equipment outside the international terminal at Sydney Airport, Australia. Reuters

Passengers wearing protective gear at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, where health authorities have imposed an entry ban on foreign arrivals from eight African countries, including South Africa. EPA

Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The Israeli government approved a 14-day ban on foreign arrivals over concerns about Omicron. EPA

Travellers queuing in the hope of boarding an overbooked Lufthansa flight at Cape Town International Airport. Antonie Robertson / The National

Covid-stricken Czech President Milos Zeman sits in a plastic cage as he appoints Petr Fiala as Prime Minister, near Prague. AFP

Tourists checking in at Cape Town International Airport in South Africa. Antonie Robertson / The National

Several airlines have stopped flying out of South Africa amid the spread of the new variant, causing disruption at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Reuters

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Two cases of the recently discovered Omicron variant were detected in New South Wales. EPA

Passengers, many not wearing face coverings, on the London Underground. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said mandatory mask-wearing would return to shops and public transport in England but there are concerns over how the rule will be enforced. AFP

A stroll, with face masks, in Biarritz, south-western France. French Health Minister Olivier Veran said France had no confirmed cases of the Omicron variant and was not changing its strategy of increasing vaccinations and booster shots. AP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty during a press conference on the variant in London. Reuters

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

Normally busy streets in Amman were quiet on Monday as a third coronavirus wave intensified and authorities signalled that the Omicron strain cannot be kept out of the country.

“Monday is usually a slow day but it was slower than usual,” said Imad, owner of a coffee shop in the upscale district of Abdoun in West Amman.

“People are talking about Omicron. They seem to have become more hesitant to go out.”

Jordan is in a sharp economic slowdown with unemployment officially at a record high of around 25 per cent.

The government expects the economy to grow by 2 per cent by the end of this year, as much as it officially retreated in 2020.

The authorities have insisted that there will be no return to lockdowns and other virus restrictions they blame for damaging the economy.

But the country’s top infectious diseases official has indicated that they might be necessary.

“The next few weeks will be decisive,” Adel Al Belbeisi said. “We have seen the lockdowns in Europe. We do not want to reach that stage.”

Mr Al Belbeisi told official radio on Monday that confirmed infections rose to 27,200 last week.

The figure represents a 35 per cent jump on the week before, and 80 per cent more than at the end of last month.

Although coronavirus bed occupancy is still at one-third of capacity, he said Jordan “cannot afford” for admissions to rise to 70-80 per cent of capacity.

The Health Ministry says 11,500 people died from the coronavirus in Jordan. The country's population is 10 million.

At a drive-in PCR testing centre near the Fifth Circle in Amman, there was a line of cars waiting their turn.

“More people are coming in to get tested. They are afraid of the new strain,” one nurse said.

Jordanian authorities announced ten days ago that the country had entered a third wave of the coronavirus, with positive PCR tests doubling to 10 per cent.

The second wave occurred in the first three months of this year.

But Finance Minister Mohamad Al Ississ told reporters in Amman on Sunday that the government is “not thinking of imposing lockdowns, ether total or partial”.

“The cost of adopting health measures in response to the coronavirus is much less than the cost of lockdowns,” he said, referring to social distancing and vaccinations.

The authorities lifted most coronavirus restrictions in June, citing damage to the economy. The decision contributed to the resumption of budget airline flights to the kingdom, and a reported pickup in tourism.

But the authorities banned at the weekend entry to Jordan from South Africa and six other African counties, citing the new Omicron strain. It was first detected in South Africa.

Bassam Hijjawi, a member of Jordan’s National Pandemic Committee, said on Monday that the government has “early detection measures” in place.

“Omicron is more infectious, but it has not yet been proven that it is a more dangerous strain,” Mr Hijjawi said.