Lebanon back in lockdown as virus cases rise

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister announces a fresh two-week lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus despite a grinding economic crisis that has already battered businesses.

“We’ve reached a stage of critical danger as private and public hospitals don’t have the capacity to receive severe cases,” Hassan Diab says in a televised address.

He says the lockdown, with limited exemptions, would go into force from Saturday until November 30.

The outgoing premier, who stepped down in the wake of a devastating August 4 explosion at Beirut’s port, says some industries will be excluded from restrictions.

The health sector and other vital industries would also be allowed to operate, he says, without providing details.

The airport too will remain open, Lebanese media cited the Higher Defence Council as saying.

Lebanon, a country of six million people has recorded more than 95,000 Covid-19 cases, including 732 deaths since February.

The number of new cases soared last week with the daily virus tally hitting unprecedented highs several days in a row.

A first countrywide lockdown imposed in March was effective in stemming the spread of the virus, and restrictions were gradually lifted as summer beckoned people outdoors.

— AFP