Health officials announced last month that a third wave of the coronavirus has hit the kingdom of 10 million people. Reuters
Health officials announced last month that a third wave of the coronavirus has hit the kingdom of 10 million people. Reuters
Health officials announced last month that a third wave of the coronavirus has hit the kingdom of 10 million people. Reuters
Health officials announced last month that a third wave of the coronavirus has hit the kingdom of 10 million people. Reuters

Amman doctor caught working while infected with coronavirus


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A doctor in Jordan who continued to treat patients after testing positive for the coronavirus will be referred to prosecutors, municipal authorities in the country said.

Health authorities have been imploring the public to practise social distancing and wear masks to curb a third wave of the pandemic.

“The doctor was caught inside his clinic while he was infected with the coronavirus,” Amman Governor Yasser Al Adwan told state television.

Mr Al Adwan said the doctor, who was not identified, had been moved to a Covid-19 hospital and would be kept in isolation.

“He will be referred to the prosecutor general after his quarantine is over,” Mr Al Adwan said.

Adherence to coronavirus rules lapsed this summer when the authorities lifted lockdowns and removed most restrictions on gatherings and doing business, citing a need to revive the economy.

But last month, health officials said a third wave of cases had hit the kingdom of 10 million people.

Infections have risen 30 per cent, week on week. The rate of increase has since declined, but the officials say the third wave has not yet peaked.

Covid-19 deaths in Jordan have reached a seven-day average of 36, with about 4,000 new cases daily, data from Johns Hopkins University showed.

Thirty-nine people died of Covid-19 in Jordan in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's pandemic death toll to 12,230.

Last week, the government reimposed PCR testing requirements on anyone entering the kingdom.

State media said on Saturday that Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh was self-isolating after one of his children tested positive for the virus.

The Omicron variant around the world - in pictures

  • Children walk through the settlement of Vlakfontein outside Johannesburg in South Africa. Although children under 12 are not taking part in the country's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, cases in young children are on the rise since the discovery of the Omicron variant. AP
    Children walk through the settlement of Vlakfontein outside Johannesburg in South Africa. Although children under 12 are not taking part in the country's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, cases in young children are on the rise since the discovery of the Omicron variant. AP
  • People wearing face masks to protect against Covid-19 cross the Concorde square in Paris. The World Health Organisation says early evidence suggests the omicron variant may be spreading faster than the highly transmissible delta variant, but brings with it less severe coronavirus disease. AP
    People wearing face masks to protect against Covid-19 cross the Concorde square in Paris. The World Health Organisation says early evidence suggests the omicron variant may be spreading faster than the highly transmissible delta variant, but brings with it less severe coronavirus disease. AP
  • President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the state dinning room at the White House in Washington. The US president and the vice president held a meeting with members of the White House Covid-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant. EPA
    President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the state dinning room at the White House in Washington. The US president and the vice president held a meeting with members of the White House Covid-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant. EPA
  • Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, attends a Covid-19 meeting at the White House. EPA
    Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, attends a Covid-19 meeting at the White House. EPA
  • People wait in line to get tested for Covid-19 in Times Square, New York. AFP
    People wait in line to get tested for Covid-19 in Times Square, New York. AFP
  • The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in at least 19 US states. Health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots. AFP
    The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in at least 19 US states. Health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots. AFP
  • Leonardo Velasco, 4, reacts as he receives a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine in Caracas, Venezuela, Reuters
    Leonardo Velasco, 4, reacts as he receives a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine in Caracas, Venezuela, Reuters
  • People wear face masks as they ride a bus after the first case of the Omicron variant was detected in Pakistan. The case was reported in a private hospital in Karachi by a patient with a history of international travel. EPA
    People wear face masks as they ride a bus after the first case of the Omicron variant was detected in Pakistan. The case was reported in a private hospital in Karachi by a patient with a history of international travel. EPA
  • A health care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Johannesburg, South Africa. Reuters
    A health care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Johannesburg, South Africa. Reuters
  • A medical worker holds a sign for visitors to prepare for coronavirus tests at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul, South Korea. AP
    A medical worker holds a sign for visitors to prepare for coronavirus tests at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul, South Korea. AP
  • A child waits to receive a dose of the Sinofarm vaccine in La Paz, after Bolivian President Luis Arce authorised the vaccination of children between five and 11 years old. AFP
    A child waits to receive a dose of the Sinofarm vaccine in La Paz, after Bolivian President Luis Arce authorised the vaccination of children between five and 11 years old. AFP
  • Ice skaters take a selfie on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in central London. AFP
    Ice skaters take a selfie on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in central London. AFP
  • A health professional points to a Christmas tree made with Covid-19 and flu vaccine vials at the Public Health Basic Unit 'Ernani Agricola' in the Lapa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP
    A health professional points to a Christmas tree made with Covid-19 and flu vaccine vials at the Public Health Basic Unit 'Ernani Agricola' in the Lapa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP
  • Skaters, most wearing face masks to combat the spread of coronavirus, skate on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in London. AFP
    Skaters, most wearing face masks to combat the spread of coronavirus, skate on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in London. AFP
  • A medical worker prepares a Moderna vaccine on the first day of the re-opening of a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Merignac, on the outskirts of Bordeaux, France. AFP
    A medical worker prepares a Moderna vaccine on the first day of the re-opening of a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Merignac, on the outskirts of Bordeaux, France. AFP
Updated: December 19, 2021, 6:28 PM