Jordan's Health Ministry confirms country's first coronavirus case

The coronavirus patient's family members did not test positive for the virus. However, the health minister added that those who were in contact with the patient will be quarantined for 14 days.

By AARON REICH
Coronavirus (photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)
Coronavirus
(photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)
The Jordanian Health Ministry confirmed the country's first coronavirus case on Monday, Al-Arabiya reported.
The infected person had returned from Italy two weeks ago, and was tested Sunday night for the virus along with another person who showed symptoms.
The first person tested positive for the virus; the second one tested negative, but will remain quarantined for 14 days as a precaution.
The infected patient's family members did not test positive for the virus. However, Jordanian Health Minister Saad Jaber added that those who were in contact with the patient will be quarantined for 14 days, according to Al-Arabiya.
He added that Jordan is fully prepared for the coronavirus outbreak and has the confirmed case fully quarantined and isolated.
According to Jaber, the patient is stable.
The coronavirus outbreak, which started in Wuhan, China, has since spread worldwide and has infected nearly 90,000 people at the time of writing. Multiple countries in the Middle East, starting with the UAE, have reported multiple cases, with the vast majority of them linked to an outbreak in Iran. As such, many countries in the region have imposed travel restrictions with the Islamic Republic, as well as with China and Italy, where another major outbreak has sprung up and has resulted in thousands being infected.
Last week, Jordan's state carrier Royal Jordanian Airlines suspended flights between Amman and Rome until further notice, and reduced flights to major Asian destinations.
Reuters contributed to this report.