Lebanon to return to strict lockdown after Covid-19 surge

Restrictions come into effect on Thursday and will last three weeks

A doctor wearing protective gear handles a coronavirus test sample at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. The pandemic has put the country's healthcare system in crisis, officials said on January 2, 2020. Reuters

A health worker gathers PCR tests of migrant domestic workers at a hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. Reuters

An empty street at Beirut's Martyrs' Square during one of the health lockdowns ordered by Lebanon's government that have further damaged the country's crisis-hit economy. AFP

A Lebanese man wearing a protective mask walks past a Christmas tree in Beirut's Achrafieh district. AFP

Volunteers with Dafa Campaign collect and distribute donations for those in need at Forum de Beyrouth in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The United Nations estimates that more than half of Lebanon's population is living in poverty. AFP

A demonstrator attends a protest in Beirut against growing economic hardship. Reuters

Beirut's nightlife districts of Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, known for their bars, restaurants and art galleries, were some of the areas hit hardest by the massive explosion at Beirut port on August 4, 2020. AFP

A worker disinfects a room where patients undergo tests for the coronavirus at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut. Reuters

Volunteers from Hezbollah's medical wing, the Islamic Health Society, prepare to disinfect streets in southern Beirut as part of the Lebanese group's initiatives to deal with the country's coronavirus outbreak. Reuters

Hezbollah’s Islamic health unit personnel wearing protective gear stand near ambulances as part of a press tour in Lebanon. Reuters

A woman wearing a protective mask walks past Central Bank building in Beirut. Lebanon has eased banking secrecy laws for a one-year period to facilitate a forensic audit of the Central Bank and other state institutions. Reuters

Lebanon will restore a strict lockdown this week as a new wave of Covid-19 cases pushes its hospitals to breaking point.

The ministerial committee on coronavirus says the restrictions will come into effect on Thursday and include a curfew between 6pm and 5am, and a full curfew on Sundays. It will last until February 1.

The measures include the return of an even-odd licence plate rule, allowing the use of cars only on alternating days.

Lebanon’s Minister of Health, Hamad Hassan, defended the measures to local news outlet LBC.

“It’s become clear that the challenge posed by the pandemic has become a danger to the lives of Lebanese as hospitals run out of available beds,” Mr Hassan said.

The Ministry of Interior is expected to release further details of lockdown measures on Tuesday, including possible restrictions on travel and opening hours for businesses.

Sources at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut told The National  they did not expect the airport to close.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced 2,861 new cases while public health officials gave a warning that the country’s healthcare system was facing a catastrophe, with 95 per cent of beds in intensive care units already occupied.

Experts predict a further increase in cases after a boisterous New Year's Eve. Videos of large gatherings and parties have enraged the public.

Businesses were critical of the government’s lack of support in previous lockdowns and said restrictions punished even those who took precautions.

“It is of course harmful to all small businesses, specifically people like us who are taking all the precautions and making sure of the safety of our customers and staff,” said Huwaida Rajab, owner of Orenda, a vegan restaurant in the capital’s Mar Mikhael district.

“On the other hand, it is effective after seeing a crazy increase in numbers after all the big gatherings and parties.

"Some businesses were abiding by every rule and precaution while others were not and that is what got us here, so everyone has to pay the price for that.

“Let’s not forget that our government, when asking for a lockdown, just ask you to close your doors and don’t bother to see how you will manage to pay salaries, rent and everything else."

Lebanon has registered 1,499 coronavirus deaths since recording its first case of the virus in February.