His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, on Monday visited the command of the King Hussein bin Ali Brigade.

King Abdullah was received by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hneiti, Petra news agency reported.

His Majesty was briefed on the Brigade’s operational, training and technical matters and checked on its preparedness.

The King commended the high morale and distinguished performance displayed by the Brigade’s personnel in carrying out their tasks and duties.

During the visit, His Majesty was briefed on the newly received Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) through a military grant from Qatar, and observed a demonstration of their operational features, which facilitate the execution of the brigade’s duties.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah also stressed on Monday the need to develop plans to bolster exports, ease the burden on the economy, control government expenditure, and capitalize on opportunities available during the ongoing exceptional circumstance around the world.

Chairing a National Policies Council (NPC) meeting attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, King Abdullah emphasized the importance of clarifying media messages and instructions regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related to closures to the public to prevent violations.

During the meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, adviser to His Majesty and NPC chairperson, His Majesty noted the need to designate three sites in Jordan’s northern, central and southern regions to be equipped as sites suitable for large gatherings in cases of crises or natural disasters.

The King also reviewed measures implemented at the borders to control movement and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said the government, in coordination with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies, intends to open up movement between adjacent governorates that do not record any COVID-19 cases in the span of two weeks after Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Razzaz expected southern governorates to be the first to open up onto each other, followed by other governorates, depending on the developments of the epidemiological situation and taking into account adherence to public health and safety standards.

The Prime Minister noted work underway to prepare areas in the southern region to be used as quarantine zones for citizens crossing into Jordan from the southern border, with a capacity that exceeds 8,000 people.

Razzaz said the government decided a few weeks ago to disburse monthly bonuses for health personnel to reward their tireless work and exceptional efforts, commending their performance during the COVOD-19 crisis to safeguard public health and wellbeing.

He noted that addressing the COVID-19 pandemic requires balancing public health with the economic value of resuming operations in various sectors, to mitigate the crisis’ economic and social impacts.

Based on Royal directives to bolster the health and agriculture sectors and ensure the continuity and sustainability of production, he said the government formed three committees dedicated to manufacturing medical supplies and devices, food processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The three committees will work to support local industries and products, the prime minister added.

Also during the meeting, His Majesty was briefed by officials on the measures taken to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.