Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh announced that the “era of the dollar peg has finished,” and that the Lebanese currency would be floated if an agreement was reached with the International Monetary Fund.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday called on the Army Command and the Internal Security Forces to announce the results of the probe into the catastrophic August 4 explosion at Beirut’s port.

“The issue of the blast at the port should remain a national cause and should not be turned into a regional, sectarian or political cause. This is unethical and harm targeted everyone,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech focused on domestic issues.

Lebanon on Friday reported 5,440 fresh coronavirus cases, a new record high of daily infections for the small country, which registered 4,774 cases on Thursday.

The harrowing tally comes on the second day of a 25-day lockdown aimed at reining in a major spike in virus cases.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Friday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

A statement issued by Hariri’s press office said the meeting lasted for two hours and involved a working lunch.

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.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday held phone talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

The state-run National News Agency said Berri called al-Rahi to offer condolences over the death of his brother.

President Michel Aoun said Friday that the Constitutional Council should help “interpret” the Constitution, which prompted a swift reply from Speaker Nabih Berri who emphasized that the “Parliament alone” has that right.

Lebanese security forces issued over 1,700 penalty notices for virus regulation breaches despite a nationwide lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus as infections hit a record high of 4775 on Thursday.

Unidentified gunmen tried to rob and kidnap three people in the Zahle town of Ferzol in the Bekaa Governorate, which resulted in the killing of two individuals and injuring two others, media reports said Friday.

Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat called on PM-designate Saad Hariri to call off the government formation efforts, describing as “futile” any future meeting between President Michel Aoun and Hariri at Bkirki.