As measures ease, Jordan churches reopen to public

(7 Jun 2020) LEAD IN: For the first time in months, churches in Jordan echoed with the whispers of worshippers praying inside. All churches had been closed to the public 11 weeks ago to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. STORY-LINE: Jordan's churches welcomed back worshippers on Sunday for the first time since all churches closed 11 weeks ago to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The decision was announced by the government last week as authorities started easing restrictions that had been imposed in March. Worshippers observed preventive imposed by authorities as they prayed at church. Attendees put on masks and gloves before entering the house of worship. They also maintained a distance from one another during service. "There is joy across all our churches as the faithful return to pray at churches after they prayed (remotely) for almost three months," said Rifat Badr, the general director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media. Jordan's government imposed a lockdown in mid-March aimed at containing the virus, halting travel and public gatherings, and forcing private and public sectors to close. Many of the restrictions have been lifted gradually in recent weeks as the rate of new infections significantly declined. Authorities have eased the lockdown on many sectors, but warned that if more than 10 cases are recorded for seven days in a row, the curfew will be imposed again. A curfew between midnight and 6:00 a.m. is still imposed by government. Jordan has recorded 795 cases and just 9 deaths, with 586 recoveries from the virus. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/838a4e002a0e4ef59578c9fedbf98aff

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