The Interior Ministry announced that it was relaxing lockdown measures starting Monday.
The curfew is extended by 30 minutes (11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.), restaurants and supermarkets are allowed to open until 10:30 p.m. Events and parties are now permitted with a maximum capacity of 25% indoors and 50% outdoors to a limit of 100 people.
As for the nightclubs, they will reopen at 50% capacity with no dancing allowed.
Easing lockdown measures comes as a relief for people and businesses during this season, considering the harsh economic situation in the country. However, Lebanon is currently battling a high rise in coronavirus cases, which makes this controversial.
Not less controversial is the new rule in regards to nightclubs.
Allowing the reopening of these dancing venues without allowing dancing defeats the purpose; something the Lebanese people were quick to point to with their usual sarcastic humor towards things that make no sense.
I might finally start going to nightclubs since there’s no dancing anymore.
— Halim Shebaya (حليم شبيعة) (@halimshebaya) December 13, 2020
Lebanon today recorded 1,275 new coronavirus cases and 10 more deaths.
Among the newly recorded cases, 33 were travelers arriving from abroad, making the total number of positive cases in Lebanon 146,520 since the virus was first detected in the country in late February.
The total number of deaths now stands at 1,200.
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