The United Nations on Monday denied reports referring to possible U.N. withdrawal from Lebanon, stressing that it is not planning to "stop its operations" or "evacuate its staff" from the country.

"In response to speculative stories referring to possible U.N. withdrawal from Lebanon in some media outlets in the past days, the United Nations considers it necessary to deny such unsubstantiated speculations," the U.N. said in an English-language statement.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Monday underscored that “thugs belong in jail,” referring to those who carried out acts of rioting in Beirut and Tripoli over the past days.

Diab was speaking during a financial-security meeting that he chaired at the Grand Serail to “follow up on the current security situations and control the U.S. dollar exchange rate,” the National News Agency said.

Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi on Sunday issued a memo ending the odd-even rule for the movement of vehicles, which has been in place since April 7 as part of the so-called state of general mobilization over the coronavirus pandemic.

The rule had rationed the movement of vehicles with those whose license plates end in an odd digit allowed on the streets for three days a week and those whose plates end in an even digit allowed to move for the three other days. The system had barred both categories of vehicles from moving on Sundays.

Lebanon confirmed only four COVID-19 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, a drop from twenty daily cases recorded on Saturday.

A statement issued by the Health Ministry said two of the infected individuals are residents and the other two are repatriated expats. It said the two local cases have been traced to known sources.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Sunday accused the government of negligence towards the rioting that central Beirut had witnessed in recent days.

“As much as we as Lebanese cling to freedom of opinion and expression, we also cling to public order, public safety and the preservation of public and private property,” Geagea said in a tweet.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday said “vandals”, “suspicious protesters” and “saboteurs” have infiltrated the anti-government protests.

“We will not allow anyone to destroy the civilized Lebanese state and we are supporting the government for a single objective, which is that it heed the voice of the people who want a government that carries out the reforms that are demanded domestically and internationally,” said al-Rahi in his Sunday Mass sermon.

Lebanese protesters took to the streets in Beirut and other cities Saturday in mostly peaceful protests against the government, calling for its resignation as the small country sinks deeper into economic distress.

The protests come after two days of rallies spurred by a dramatic collapse of the local currency against the dollar. Those rallies degenerated into violence, including attacks on private banks and shops.

The Health Ministry said that twenty new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus were recorded on Saturday raising the tally to 1442.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab has commissioned Head of the High Relief Committee Gen. Mohammed Kheir with conducting a field survey to assess the damages to commercial, public and private properties, the press office of PM Hassan Diab said on Saturday.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday waged sharp remarks against the ruling authority and AMAL and Hizbullah parties, without naming them, after Friday’s protests that turned into riots.