Jordan looks to August reopening

A camel takes a rest in the ancient city of Petra, southern Jordan (photo courtesy Unsplash/Alex Vasey).

Jordan has confirmed it will resume commercial flights from August to a limited number of European and Asian countries.

According to Jordan’s minister of transportation, Khaled Saif, the kingdom is looking to reopen its borders on August 4 and that regular commercial flights from Alia international airport could begin in the first or second week of August. The airport has been closed to regular international passenger flights since March, although during this time more than 20,000 stranded citizens have been repatriated from the Gulf, the US and Europe.

The government has now drawn up a list of ‘safe’ countries and travellers from these destinations will be able to enter Jordan without having to quarantine. However, all arrivals must undergo a COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to departure and all passengers will be tested again on arrival. They will be unable to leave the airport until they receive their results.

Travellers must also complete an online declaration 24 hours prior to boarding which will be checked on departure and arrival. The declaration will cost JD40. Non-Jordanians must also prove that they have valid health insurance.

Jordan has recorded 1,201 cases and ten deaths after taking early measures in mid-March to restrict its 10 million population, including sealing borders, imposing a state of emergency and introducing a night curfew.

Restrictions were lifted in July for most activities, including the reopening of dining spaces and hotels.

According to the government, travellers to the kingdom will need to prove that they have spent at least 14 days in a ‘safe’, or ‘green’, country before departure. Passengers from a ‘red’ or ‘orange’ status country must transit through a green status country for 14 days before travelling to Jordan.

The green list currently includes China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Thailand in Asia Pacific, but is subject to change. Asia Family Traveller has reached out to the Jordanian authorities to confirm whether ‘China’ includes Hong Kong and Macau, as this was not specified.

Neighbouring Gulf countries have at this stage not been included on the safe country list owing to rising coronavirus infections recently.