On Monday, Jordan began compulsory quarantine for all passengers arriving in the country amidst the global coronavirus pandemic.
All those arriving, both citizens or visitors, were taken to Amman and the Dead Sea for quarantine whether they were showing COVID-19 symptoms or not.
A reported 200 people are staying at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, which costs over Dhs330 for a room per night.
The resort has nine restaurants, a luxe spa and swimming pools in its 6,000 square metre vicinity.
However, quarantined guests aren’t paying the five-star price tag for the resort, nor are they getting the five-star benefits, per The National.
On March 16, passenger Mohammad Yaghi confirmed he was being quarantined at the resort, posting a photo of the room he had been placed in also saying everyone had their own rooms.
من داخل غرفة الحجر الصحي
طبعاً كل واحد غرفة لحال pic.twitter.com/fViuUlkQHd
— Mohammad Yaghi (@Yaghi_MM) March 16, 2020
Mr Yaghi then went on to explain in further Twitter posts how when he arrived in Jordan “everything was normal”.
However, himself and other passengers then went on to be questioned by doctors. Crowds were then told they would be put into quarantine in hotels at the Dead Sea. According to Mr Yaghi, everything got quite chaotic as they were transported on buses to go into quarantine.
People were then assigned to specific hotels, but “did not stick” to what they were told, claims Mr Yaghi.
4
وصلنا البحر الميت
في دوريات على الطريق
وقدام كل فندق في سيارة للدرك
فتنا الفندق عشان يتم حصر الاسماء واعطاء كل شخص غرفة
طبعاً برضو نفس القصة ما حدا بدو يلتزم بالدور
يعني الأنانية مش فاهم كيف هيك
خلي الأولوية للكبار بالسن والي معهم اطفال وبعدين انت ك شب او رجل خذ دورك— Mohammad Yaghi (@Yaghi_MM) March 16, 2020
It is expected passengers in quarantine for 14 days.
Emirates Woman has reached out to the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea for comment.
Currently Jordan has 47 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with all patients “recovering well”, according to Abdulaziz al-Khashman, the head of Prince Hamza Hospital in Amman, told state television.
In the UAE, there are currently 113 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Precautionary shutdowns taken place in the UAE
As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, there have been many precautionary shutdowns that have taken place in the UAE for the next two to four weeks.
On Monday, the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority and General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments stated all prayers at mosques, churches and temples will temporarily be cancelled for the next four weeks in a bid to contain the spreading of coronavirus, and to safeguard public health of UAE citizens and residents.
Additionally as of yesterday, all Dubai pubs, bars and lounges are to close until the end of March. In a statement from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, all bars, pubs and lounges have been instructed to close effective immediately for the next two weeks.
These announcements came after all events were suspended in Dubai from Sunday 15 March until the end of the month.
Also per the direction for the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, all entertainment destinations, hospitality establishments and wedding halls to “suspend” operations from 15 March until the end of the month.
All gyms, spas and parks have also closed for the next two weeks.
Similar closures have also taken place in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait.
More information on coronavirus:
- Tips on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus
-
Sheikh Hamdan reveals reduction in DEWA bills for three months
Images: Instagram, philomene_vagabonde Instagram, Twitter, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea