Berri, Geagea Test Negative for Virus after LF MP Infected
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and MP Alain Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement tested negative for COVID-19 after MP George Okais of the LF announced that he had contracted the virus.
As al-Jadeed TV reported that Berri tested negative for the virus, Geagea’s press office declared that “after it turned out that MP George Okais of the Strong Republic bloc is infected with coronavirus, LF leader Samir Geagea underwent a PCR test yesterday and the result came out negative.”
MP Alain Aoun meanwhile tweeted that he also tested negative. “Once I learned of the infection of my colleague George Okais, whom we meet daily in the meetings of several committees the last of which was on Thursday, I underwent a PCR test and my result came out negative,” he said.
Media reports said a lot of MPs and parliament employees had also started undergoing PCR tests as of Saturday afternoon.
Deputy PM and Defense Minister Zeina Akar for her part said she tested negative after her daughter contracted the virus.
The developments prompted Parliament’s General Secretariat to postpone all meetings of the parliamentary committees that had been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Berri has also asked lawmakers to undergo PCR tests as of Monday.
Okais had announced Saturday that he tested himself for the virus upon learning that his friend Hadi al-Hashem, the director of the Foreign Minister’s office, was infected with coronavirus.
“He is a friend whom I regularly meet,” Okais said.
“I have tested positive with a low viral load and no symptoms until the moment. I will quarantine myself for two full days and will repeat the test on Monday,” he added.
Lebanon is poised to take strict and mandatory measures as of Monday in a bid to contain a resurgence of the virus in the country.
Health Minister Hamad Hasan said the measures involve fining those who don’t abide by mask-wearing instructions and detaining expats coming from abroad if they do not respect quarantine rules.
Lebanon’s government-linked anti-coronavirus committee has meanwhile recommended a one-week closure as of Monday of pubs, nightclubs, internal pools, concert venues, theaters, cinemas, amusement parks, indoor and outdoor children playgrounds, gyms, popular souks and social event venues except for wedding venues.
Lebanon on Saturday confirmed 175 COVID-19 cases, its highest daily tally since the first case was detected on February 21.
The cases raised the country’s overall tally to 3,582 cases -- among them 908 Lebanese expats.
The tally includes 47 deaths and 1,671 recoveries.
Source: Naharnet
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