Al-Jadeed Reporter Collapses on Air, to be Tested for Coronavirus

Al-Jadeed TV reporter Rachelle al-Husseini collapsed Monday during a live broadcast from the al-Masnaa border crossing.

Al-Husseini and several other reporters were in the area to cover the closure of the country’s main border crossing with Syria as part of Lebanon’s two-week lockdown in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement issued by al-Jadeed said the reporter collapsed after she felt dizzy and her blood pressure dropped.

“She was immediately rushed to the Health Ministry’s border health center to conduct the necessary examinations and the doctor who examined her said she was not showing any coronavirus symptom,” al-Jadeed said.

“Her body temperature is normal and her blood pressure returned to normal, but she suffered extreme fatigue and panic which pushed her into a state of dizziness and fainting,” the TV network quoted the physician as saying.

Al-Jadeed added that al-Husseini and the cameraman Elie Abu Assli will isolate themselves for 18 hours after undergoing coronavirus tests pending the results.

The TV network also stressed that it is keen on taking all the safety and precaution measures against the COVID-19 coronavirus, noting that binding protocols have been imposed on all its employees.

Lebanon has so far confirmed 109 coronavirus cases among them three deaths.

The country went into lockdown Monday after the government announced a two-week state of “general mobilization” and ordered the closure of public and private institutions as well as the country’s airport and land and sea ports of entry.