Coronavirus: Jordan to allow flights from 10 'low risk' countries

Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus and Thailand are among nations from which some commercial flights will resume next month

Jordanian tourists at Petra on June 20, 2020. EPA

Jordan will reopen its airport next month to commercial flights from 10 countries deemed to have “low-risk” coronavirus levels, a government spokesman said.

Amjad Al Adayleh told the official news agency that a list of “green countries” from which flights will be allowed into Queen Alia International Airport, the kingdom’s main airport south of Amman, include Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Hong Kong and Thailand.

No date has been set for the reopening, he said.

Mr Al Adayleh said any resident or national of the 10 countries “with a low risk pandemic situation will be allowed entry into Jordan”.

Travellers from these destinations will not be subjected to quarantine so long as they have undergone a Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival, he said.

Mr Al Adayleh said that Jordan is a “moderate risk” country, citing continued infections from within the kingdom.

He said a major indicator of whether the coronavirus risk in Jordan could decrease would be 10 days passing without recording a single case traced to local sources of infection.

“The danger is still there despite recording a limited number of local cases lately,” Mr Al Adayleh said.

Jordan lifted most coronavirus-related bans last month but an overnight curfew remains in place and gatherings of more than 20 people are not allowed. The government said this week that schools would be allowed to reopen in September.

Official data shows that 1,200 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Jordan and 10 deaths have been recorded.