19 COVID deaths, 1,427 virus cases recorded Thursday

AMMAN — Nineteen COVID-19 deaths and 1,427 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Thursday, increasing the caseload to 294,494, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom’s coronavirus death toll to 3,834, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 473 infections in Amman, 330 in Irbid, including 50 in Ramtha district, 130 in Mafraq, 124 in Zarqa, 88 in Balqa, 67 in Madaba, 63 in Karak, 48 in Ajloun, 36 in Aqaba, 36 in Jerash, 16 in Tafileh and 16 in Maan, including four in Petra district.

The statement added that there are currently 20,109 active COVID-19 cases in Jordan.

A total of 113 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on   Thursday, taking the number of patients currently receiving care for COVID-19 in hospitals to 723, the statement said, adding that 87 recovered patients left hospitals.

The statement revealed that the number of isolation beds occupied by COVID-19 patients in hospitals on Wednesday totalled 853, registering an occupancy rate of 20 per cent, while a total of 252 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, at a rate of 26 per cent.

A total of 110 ventilators were used for treating COVID-19 patients, at an occupancy rate of 12 per cent.

The statement added that 1,708 recoveries were registered in hospitals and home quarantine on Thursday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 270,551.

A total of 23,430 virus tests were also conducted on   Thursday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic to 3,175,555, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 6.09 per cent, the statement added.

The Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people, according to the statement.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its “I Protect Them” awareness campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through increasing public commitment to preventive measures to protect individuals and their beloved ones.