Passenger Vans, Buses to be Allowed to Operate as of Tuesday

W460

Passenger vans and buses will be allowed to resume operations as of Tuesday after they were suspended due to the anti-virus lockdown that Lebanon began enforcing on Thursday, a top unionist said.

“As a result of the follow-up and contacts made by the Unions and Syndicates of the Land Transport Sector, and after an agreement with the friend, Minister of Interior and Municipalities Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fahmi, I’m pleased to announce to the drivers of vans and buses on Lebanese territory that they will be allowed to resume work as of Tuesday morning,” Bassam Tlais said.

The drivers will be allowed to resume operations “according to the health conditions and measures that will be issued in a memo by Minister Fahmi,” Tlais, who is the head of the Unions and Syndicates of the Land Transport Sector, added.

The lockdown in Lebanon is the third since the first case was reported in late February. It will close most businesses and limit traffic by imposing an odd-and-even license plate rule on alternating days. It also reduces the number of flights at the country's only international airport.

A daily 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will be in effect as of Thursday until Feb. 1. Also on Thursday, Lebanon broke its single-day record of new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, with 4,774 reported infections over the past 24 hours.

It came after a holiday season in which tens of thousands of visitors flew into the country to celebrate Christmas and New Year's. Lebanon also reported 16 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, bringing the number of total cases in the small Mediterranean country to over 200,000, with more than 1,500 deaths.

First responders in the country hit by a severe economic crisis say they have been transporting nearly 100 patients a day to hospitals, which are now reporting near-full occupancy, including in intensive care units.

The new lockdown comes as Lebanon was already struggling with an unprecedented economic and financial crisis that has caused it to default on debt and sent its local currency plunging, losing 80% of its value to the dollar.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 1
Thumb cedar 08 January 2021, 18:38

This is totally irresponsible and negligent by government to allow these super spreaders to be allowed.