Cellphone Shops to be Closed, Validity of Prepaid Lines Extended

Cellphone shops will be closed in Lebanon and the validity of prepaid lines will be extended by a month due to the coronavirus crisis, the telecom minister said on Wednesday.

“An additional one-month grace period will be given to the subscribers of the Alfa and touch firms for paying their bills,” Talal Hawat told al-Jadeed TV.

The Telecommunications Ministry meanwhile launched a donations campaign to aid the country’s anti-coronavirus efforts.

For every SMS sent to 1122, LBP 1,500 will be donated to the country’s government-appointed anti-coronavirus committee, the Ministry said.

The government had on Sunday declared a two-week state of “general mobilization,” closing the country’s air, land and sea ports of entry and ordering the closure of all non-essential public and private institutions.

Citizens and residents were meanwhile asked to stay home unless it is extremely necessary to go out.

Lebanon has so far confirmed 133 coronavirus cases among them four deaths.