AMMAN — The total expenditure on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on healthcare, social protection and supporting affected sectors since the beginning of the crisis until the end of 2021 exceeded JD3 billion, Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh said on Saturday.

During the opening ceremony of the “Jordan's experience in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic: Facts, challenges and available opportunities” conference, Khasawneh said that the government has adopted "the right decisions at the right time" through the Defence Law and orders, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister said that the government was setting priorities balanced between the citizens' health and sustaining economic and educational sectors, taking into consideration the living conditions of Jordanians.

In this regard, he said that the Kingdom’s health capabilities increased by 350 per cent in record time through establishing field hospitals, providing necessary devices and appointing thousands of doctors, nurses and technicians. 

Khasawneh said that the government signed contracts to secure 18 million doses of COVID vaccines, and that all vaccines and diagnosis services and treatment are available to all residents of the Kingdom regardless of nationality, noting that Jordan has also donated some vaccines to other countries. 

The prime minister said that the pandemic has also helped the Kingdom increase its storage capacities at silos, which enabled the country preserve a strategic and ample stock of important commodities.