Jordan's King Abdullah approved on Tuesday a law that gives the government sweeping powers to enforce a state of emergency to help it combat the spread of coronavirus, state media said.
The royal decree gives Prime Minister Omar Razzaz extraordinary powers under a defense law enacted in times of war and disasters to enforce curfews, closing businesses and placing restrictions on freedom of movement of people.
In a letter to Razzaz, the monarch said he approved the law to help combat the virus without infringing on citizens' political and civil rights.
"The health of Jordanians is sacred and comes above anything else," the monarch said.
Jordan has earlier announced a lockdown beginning on Wednesday, ordering all citizens to stay in their homes apart from emergencies and banning travel between provinces, to fight the coronavirus outbreak. Jordan has 34 confirmed cases and no deaths.
Troops were deployed at the entrances of cities on Tuesday to help impose the measures when they take effect the following day, the army said.
The law will give security forces in the kingdom, which has already shuttered shops and closed its borders to halt the spread of coronavirus, widespread powers to control movement.
"We will not be lenient in enforcing the laws," Interior Minister Salamah Hamad said.
Jordan has closed land and sea border crossings with Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Israel, and suspended all incoming and outgoing flights. Only cargo flights and commercial overland shipments will be allowed in and out of the country.
Razzaz visited a grain silo and said there were enough strategic stocks to feed the country for months, in an attempt to assure panicky Jordanians who have been hoarding food. Energy officials said gasoline stocks would cover 60 days' supply in a country that imports all its fuel.
The cabinet announced the closure of all government agencies except hospitals from Wednesday and ordered private firms to also close their offices and send employees home.
All shops in malls would be shut apart from those selling food and medicine. Gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned.
The public security department said it would use force if necessary against anyone resisting these government decisions.
The kingdom had also announced a package of measures this week to cushion the economy, including debt relief for troubled businesses and monetary policy moves to inject millions of dollars of liquidity into the economy.
Egypt tightens measures
In Egypt, authorities announced the death of two coronavirus patients as the number of registered cases rose to 196 and deaths to four.
Egypt placed over 300 families under quarantine in a Delta village to stem the spread of the new coronavirus after two deaths were recorded this month originating from the area.
"We have confined more than 300 families to their homes where they will remain in quarantine," Health Minister Hala Zayed told late-night television host Amr Adib on Monday.
Without naming the village in Daqahliya governorate, 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Cairo in the fertile Delta, she explained that "cleansing procedures" were undertaken to prevent further infections and that other "touristic" governorates would also be shut down in coming days.
The health ministry said Monday that an Egyptian man aged 50 died after coming into contact with a 72-year-old woman, who succumbed on March 12 from COVID-19, hailing from the same Daqahliya village now under quarantine.
The other death was of a German man, 72, in Luxor, the site of coronavirus cases originating on a Nile cruise boat that was later quarantined.
Egypt also locked down the Red Sea resort of Hurghada where the German tourist died.
Hurghada is a magnet for tourists, including divers, who come year-round for its clear waters, coral reefs and unique marine life.
The Red Sea governor, who is based in Hurghada, said a two-week lockdown has been imposed from Tuesday as part of a "national plan" to combat the virus.
The move was aimed "to ensure the safety and wellbeing of citizens from being infected as well as the safety of tourists... until they (can) leave the country", a statement said.
No one would be allowed in or out of the governorate for two weeks, it added.
Egypt said it would suspend all flights starting Thursday until the end of the month to try to reduce the rate of infections from the global outbreak.
It will keep its airspace open to allow tourists to return home, the tourism ministry said. Internal and freight flights will not be affected by the decision, the statement quoted the civil aviation minister as saying.
The country would not receive any new tourist groups during the flight suspension period, it added. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday that Egypt would sanitize hotels and tourist sites during the closure.
He urged Egyptians to "stay put" in their homes and avoid "panic shopping", saying the state had ample reserves of food items and other basic products.
Outbreak hits Iraq oil
Iraq halted on Tuesday production of around 95,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Gharraf southern oilfield after Malaysia's Petronas evacuated its staff from the field, oil officials said.
Petronas, the operator of Gharraf, took the decision to protect its staff from the spread of the new coronavirus, Iraqi oilfield officials said, according to Reuters.
They added that the company took the decision without consulting with Iraqi officials in Gharraf.
"We were forced to shut down production because Petronas didn't inform us of the evacuation process," said one oilfield official.
Oil officials said they are working to restore operations at Gharraf on Wednesday.
Lebanon, meanwhile, said 120 people have been infected with the virus.
Tunisia breaks up ram fight
Tunisian police used tear gas to disperse dozens of youths at a traditional ram fight on Tuesday because it broke coronavirus rules against crowds, the local Mosaique FM radio reported.
Ram fighting is a popular pastime in North Africa and the strongest animals with the most beautiful horns are highly prized for the powerful butts they deliver to opponents.
Tunisia has so far confirmed 24 cases of the coronavirus, but has instituted tough measures to halt its spread by stopping foreign travel, closing schools, mosques, markets and bars, and limiting cafe opening hours to mornings.
It has also barred large gatherings of people and the attendance of 40 young men to watch the ram fight at Sousse on Tuesday prompted the police to step in. That led to a confrontation and the police used tear gas.
Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh said on Monday in a televised address that if people did not respect the state's coronavirus instructions, thousands of people could end up being infected.
