Diab, Fahmi Confirm Lockdown to be Eased on Monday

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab confirmed Friday that Lebanon will on Monday ease a strict coronavirus lockdown that has been in place since January 14.

“The lockdown was aimed at preventing collapse, especially that the number of cases in intensive care units had nearly exceeded the capacity of the Lebanese health sector to deal with it and contain it,” Diab said at the beginning of a meeting for the country’s anti-Covid ministerial panel.

“We shut down the country because a lot of people were not abiding by the least requirements of anti-coronavirus precautionary measures,” he added.

“The general lockdown will end on Sunday but Monday will not be an ordinary day, seeing as we will continue to implement measures that prevent a return to the pre-lockdown period,” Diab went on to say.

“We will partially reopen the country and we will continue to enforce strict measures. We will continue to shut down some sectors and will allow some sectors to operate according to specific conditions,” Diab confirmed.

Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi later confirmed that all sectors will be gradually allowed to operate under a four-phase reopening plan each consisting of two weeks.

He however noted that "if the numbers of infections don't go down, we will not move to the second phase."

A curfew in place since January 14 will meanwhile continue to be implemented and authorities will be more strict in granting exemptions to those who need to carry out urgent tasks outside their homes.

According to LBCI television, supermarkets, grocery stores in addition to the agriculture, poultry, livestock and dairy sectors will be allowed to reopen in the first stage while banks will operate at 20% capacity.

The second stage involves the reopening of car rental agencies, auto repair garages, laundries, construction sites and licensed factories while taxis and buses will be allowed to operate.

The third includes the commercial sector while banks and factories will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity.

The fourth and last stage includes restaurants, the Casino du Liban, touristic and historical sites, internal pools, beaches, streets, gyms and gaming centers, LBCI added, noting that the education sector and nurseries will not be reopened in the first stage but rather in light of the development of the health situation in the country.