In the aftermath of the announcement by the Minister of Health, Hassan Ali Hamad, of the entry of Lebanon into a new phase of “propagation” of the Coronavirus on the territory, the Lebanese authorities reinforced the prevention measures against dissemination by ordering the closure of establishments or institutions which contain “a large number of people in one space.”
In this context, the Minister of Tourism, Ramzi Moucharrafiyeh, called for the closure, until March 15th, 2020 inclusive, of the nightclubs and pubs of the country as a measure of prevention against the spread of the Coronavirus.
In a circular, the minister called for the closure of all these places, instructing law enforcement to ensure the proper application of this measure. The decision of the Ministry of Tourism does not apply to restaurants.
For her part, the Minister of Justice extended the suspension of judicial hearings in all courts and tribunals, until March 13th, 2020.
The Order of Engineers, for its part, postponed the first phase of the elections of the Order of Engineers of Beirut, which should have allowed Sunday to elect half of the members of the council of delegates.
According to Thawra TV, “protesters from all over Lebanon gathered in Saida and accused the Government of postponing the March 8th scheduled election for the Order Of Engineers, due to fear of losing control to the independent pro-revolution candidates, and not the given corona excuse.”
The first round of elections will take place “when the reasons for the postponement are eliminated,” reports a press release from the Order. These elections were eagerly awaited when many independents stood for delegate positions, as part of the protest movement that the country has known since October 17th.
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For his part, the president of the Shiite superior council, Sheikh Abdel Amir Kabalan, called on the faithful to reduce, as much as possible, gatherings in mosques and during religious celebrations.
Friday, after Minister Hamad’s announcement that Lebanon was no longer in containment, and while the total number of proven cases in Lebanon climbed to 26 on Saturday, the ministerial committee for the follow-up of preventive measures against the Coronavirus recommended extending the closure of schools, universities, and daycare centers until March 14th.
She also advised to close all “places of entertainment”, such as sports clubs, night clubs, and cinemas, and to cancel exhibitions, plays, congresses or conferences thrilling the world.
The implementation of these measures is, however, the responsibility of the ministries concerned, which have yet to make an official announcement. From her side, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Varty Kevorkian, called for the suspension of all sport and scout activities, until the end of the month,
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In addition, an individual suspected of having the virus, was transported this Saturday afternoon from the Rai hospital, in Ghaziyeh, in the south of Saida, to the Rafic Hariri University hospital in Beirut.
Lebanese citizens are urged to abide by the guidelines and recommendations of the Ministry of Public Health in regards to the COVID-19.