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Jordan Goes on Coronavirus Lockdown as Iran's Death Toll Mounts

Associated Press

   AMMAN, JORDAN - Air raid sirens echoed across Jordan's capital on
   Saturday to mark the start of a three-day curfew, the latest mass
   lockdown in the Middle East aimed at containing the coronavirus, which
   has claimed another 123 lives in Iran, home to the region's worst
   outbreak.

   The latest deaths bring Iran's overall toll to 1,556 amid 20,610
   confirmed cases, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.
   Iran has faced widespread criticism for its lagging response to the
   outbreak, which has even infected and killed some senior officials.

   In one of the strictest measures yet, Jordan has ordered all shops to
   close and all people to stay off the streets until at least Tuesday,
   when it plans to announce specific times for shopping. Anyone caught
   violating the curfew faces up to one year in prison.

   Several countries in the Middle East have closed schools, universities
   and nonessential businesses. Many are threatening fines or jail time to
   those caught violating the decrees.

   Egypt announced that all museums and archaeological sites, including
   the famed pyramids at Giza, would be closed from Monday until the end
   of March. Mostafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities,
   said authorities would sterilize all sites during the closure.

   The council initially said the closure would begin Sunday before
   issuing a corrected statement.

   Iran has been much slower to take action against the virus. It has
   urged people not to travel during the Persian New Year, a major
   national holiday, but many appear to be ignoring the guidance. Health
   Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the number of cases has
   increased in many popular tourist destinations.

   Iran has not ordered businesses to close, though many have done so on
   their own. Authorities only began closing popular religious pilgrimage
   sites earlier this week, long after the first virus cases were
   detected. There are concerns the country's healthcare infrastructure,
   weakened by severe U.S. sanctions, could be overwhelmed.

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