Lockdown In Lebanon Might Ease Off Later This Week

Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi announced on Tuesday that the lockdown could be eased off from Friday and some businesses could open.

However, he warned that it is imperative for institutions to respond to the government measures in order to facilitate the work of security forces monitoring.

“Coronavirus infections will decrease after Friday, and some sectors will open up, and institutions must respond to the state’s circular to facilitate the work of security forces,” Fahmi said after a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, according to the state-run National News Agency.

Over 10,000 fines were issued since the lockdown was implemented on Saturday morning, according to the Internal Security Forces on Tuesday.

The Beirut Traders Association expressed discontent with the government’s lockdown decision, saying it was hurting their livelihood.

All restaurants, cafes, and bars are banned from taking in customers during the full lockdown, can only deliver orders until 5 p.m., and are to remain completely closed on Sundays.

Struggling with an un-expected increase in coronavirus cases during these recent weeks, officials took the difficult decision to impose a two-week total lockdown in a bid to curb the dangerous spread of the virus, relieve overwhelmed hospitals and give them the chance to increase their readiness.

Lebanon’s total registered coronavirus cases topped 100,000 last week. Daily cases have consistently exceeded the 1,000-mark over the last month.

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