Jordan to reopen hotels, cafes in further easing of Coronavirus lockdown

Jordan said on Thursday it would reopen hotels and cafes, allow sporting events without spectators and shorten a night curfew as of Saturday, further easing its coronavirus lockdown that has hit the aid-dependent economy.

Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz told reporters that while Jordan had now returned to near normality, it would now toughen enforcement of social distancing to ensure there was no risk of a resurgence of infections.

Razzaz said the economy was still reeling from the impact, estimating a contraction of at least 3% compared to the International Monetary Fund’s 2.1% growth forecast before the health crisis. It is Jordan’s first contraction since 1990.