AMMAN - New health standards will be set during this week to allow the reopening of mosques and churches, as well as to resume dine-in services at restaurants and cafes, under pledges from those responsible for them, the government announced on Sunday.

Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz, during his weekly address, said that control and inspection teams besides police will conduct intensive oversight campaigns, as every entity that fails to abide by rules will be immediately closed, and those in charge of it will be held accountable in accordance with defence orders.

The institutions that neither meet the conditions nor abide with health and safety measures will remain closed to “guarantee justice”, he added.

The premier pointed out that action was taken against public employees, officials and visitors in 46 government institutions last week for violating health protocols, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

"As the Kingdom reached the community transmission stage, the battle today has become a battle for vigilance and commitment," the premier said.

He noted that “the lessons learned” during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on the importance of self-reliance and youth employment, notably in the agriculture sector, which would be on the top of the Cabinet's agenda this week.

The government has already started working on preparing a number of programmes aimed at creating jobs in the agriculture sector through four projects, the PM noted.

The first programme is increasing the area of arable lands, notably 117,000 donums in 10 districts in Ma'an, Aqaba, Mafraq and Zarqa governorates, among others, Petra reported.

The second is offering training on the introduction of technology in agriculture, to local residents of these regions and the Jordan Valley.

The third project is intended to improve the quality of agricultural products through the creation of an agricultural business centre.

Geared towards enhancing the marketing of the products of the agricultural associations and selling directly to consumers, the fourth project will achieve its aims through establishing an 8,000-sqm permanent exhibition for badia and countryside products in a vital location in Amman, adding that the expo is projected to provide about 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, Razzaz added.

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