Day one of two-week lockdown in Lebanon

MENA

Published: 2020-08-21 14:02

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 12:27


Day one of two-week lockdown in Lebanon
Day one of two-week lockdown in Lebanon

A two-week lockdown has started in Lebanon on Friday, including an overnight curfew from 6pm until 6am.

The decision was made by the Lebanese Minister of the Interior, Muhammad Fahmy, to limit the spread of coronavirus following the Beirut Port blast on August 4.

Lebanon’s Minister of Public Health, Hamad Hassan said hospitals are running out of space for more patients and “the situation is unbearable”.

The Lebanese government is working on allocating whole government hospitals for coronavirus and assigning field hospitals to support them.

Many businesses were ordered to shut down for the duration of the lockdown, including markets, shopping centres, and gyms.

Official government departments, private institutions and banks have shortened their working hours.

Airports and flights continue to operate normally despite the lockdown.

The representative of the World Health Organization in Lebanon, Iman Al-Shanqeeti, said the aim of the lockdown is to reduce the number of cases that require hospitalization and intensive care.

Hassan had told Voice of Lebanon radio on Monday: “We declare today a state of general alert and we need a brave decision to close [the country] for two weeks.”