Jordan will close its border with Syria for a week starting Thursday, after staff at their only open land crossing tested positive for the novel coronavirus, state media said. Jordan has seen a drop in virus cases, with new infections recorded mainly among travellers arriving from abroad, but it registered 25 cases of the COVID-19 illness in the past two days, mostly at the Jaber crossing with its war-torn northern neighbour. Interior Minister Salamah Hammad al-Sahaim decided Wednesday "to close the Jaber border post for a week starting from Thursday morning," the official Petra news agency reported. He ordered a "review of all procedures" at the country's other land borders to prevent them being the source of new outbreaks. Jordan has registered a total of 1,303 coronavirus infections, including 11 deaths. Syria has confirmed over 1,000 cases in government-held areas, but the health ministry has admitted it lacks the "capacity... to carry out widespread testing in the provinces". kt/par/sw