AMMAN: Jordan will close its land trade border crossing with Syria for a week after a spike in COVID-19 cases coming from its northern neighbour, officials said on Wednesday.
They said the interior minister's decision to close the Jaber crossing would come into effect on Thursday morning.
The move, which also puts officials working at the crossing under quarantine, comes after 12 cases were reported on Wednesday in addition to 13 on Tuesday in the first such surge for several weeks.
The country's other land crossings with Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories are only open for commercial goods since the tight lockdown in March to stem the pandemic.
Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz said on Wednesday the spike was a "source of concern" and officials have said most cases came from truck drivers arriving from Syria, where NGOs say a significant rise in cases has been recorded by humanitarian workers.
Earlier this month the kingdom postponed a resumption of international flight services that was planned for Wednesday.
Jordan to close border with Syria after spike in COVID-19 cases
https://arab.news/p9ed6
Jordan to close border with Syria after spike in COVID-19 cases
Angelina Jolie visits Egyptian side of Gaza’s Rafah crossing
- The Hollywood star spoke with members of the Red Crescent and truck drivers ferrying humanitarian aid
- Volunteer tells the actor there are 'thousands of aid trucks just waiting' to enter the territory
RAFAH, Egypt: Hollywood star Angelina Jolie on Friday visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza, where she spoke with members of the Red Crescent and truck drivers ferrying humanitarian aid, AFP journalists said.
Accompanied by an American delegation and greeted by former and current officials, Jolie said she was “honored” to meet aid volunteers at the crossing.
A Red Crescent volunteer told the Oscar winner that “there are thousands of aid trucks just waiting” at the border crossing.
According to local media, the actor and former special envoy for the UN refugee agency made the visit to see the condition of injured Palestinians transferred to Egypt and to look into aid deliveries into the devastated territory.
Jolie and the Egyptian authorities have yet to officially comment on the visit.
The Rafah border crossing was set to be reopened under the ceasefire in effect in Gaza since October, but has so far remained closed.
In a joint statement on Friday, Egypt and six other countries including Saudi Arabia “urged the international community to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift the constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies” to Gaza.
In early December, Israel announced that the Rafah crossing would be opened only for those wishing to leave Gaza, prompting Cairo to swiftly deny that it had approved such a move.
Jolie, one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, stepped down from her role as special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency at the end of 2022 after more than 20 years of service, saying she wanted to work on broader humanitarian issues.
