Shops in Jordan reopen as country eases coronavirus curfew in the come up to Ramadan

Shops in Jordan reopen as country eases coronavirus curfew in the come up to Ramadan
Jordan is slowly reopening its businesses as the country prepares for Ramadan, though some lockdown measures remain in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
2 min read
21 April, 2020
Jordan is easing lockdown measures [Getty]

Life is gradually making its way back to the Jordanian capital Amman after the government eased coronavirus-related restrictions, allowing additional sectors to resume work at 30 per cent manpower.

The new decision allows building supply stores, renewable energy, clothing, electronics, mobile and computer repair shops, bookshops, vehicles maintenance shops, furniture, jewelry stores and other economic sectors to resume their work after taking formal legal measures.

The government has set out some conditions for opening sectors and establishments.

They must register with social security and priority is given to Jordanian workers.

Applications must be submitted to an electronic platform.

The government's conditions also include compliance with health and medical procedures.

Owners of clothing, construction material and jewelry have welcomed the decision to reopen but complained about struggling to follow authorities' new rules.


"The disadvantages are more because we are not allowed to sell directly inside the store, we are allowed to sell online only, we don't have online sales," said Juries Saideh, owner of clothing store.

Read More: Coronavirus: Lebanon's LGBT+ community is locked down and unprotected

"We are located in the city centre and we don't sell online, we are not working inside a mall. Look at the stores in the downtown area, only me and another store are operating today. They announced that sectors are reopening today but no one has opened, as they are not able to sell online."

The majority of shops are still closed until they fulfill these conditions.

Clothing and home furniture stores are allowed to operate on delivery.

Citizens are prohibited from using cars and are only allowed to move on foot between 10:00am (07:00GMT) and 6:00pm (15:00GMT).

Jordan has so far reported 425 cases of coronavirus and at least seven deaths.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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