Amman, Aug 13 (IANS): Jordan has decided to close the Jaber border crossing with Syria for one week starting from Thursday after an increase of local coronavirus cases.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said that the decision was taken upon a recommendation from health authorities, Xinhua news agency reported.

This is one of the busiest border crossings in Syria and is the main crossing for Syrian exports to Jordan and the GCC countries.

Jordan witnessed a rise in the number of locally-transmitted coronavirus cases with the majority of them were registered at the northern border crossing with Syria.

A total of 20 cases were registered on Wednesday, of which 16 were local infections, said Health Minister Saad Jaber, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,303.

Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Wednesday directed related authorities to improve the health measures at the border crossings with Saudi Arabia and Iraq, vowing immediate measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.