The Free Patriotic Movement announced Monday that it supports the government in its decision to declare a “health emergency” rather than a “security or military state of emergency,” as it warned against issuing an “arbitrary general amnesty law” under the pressure of the coronavirus crisis.

Urging citizens to “abide by the rules of the health emergency state,” the FPM called on the government to be “strict in implementing it.”

A Lebanese judge on Monday interrogated a number of detainees via the WhatsApp messaging application due to the country’s lockdown over the coronavirus crisis.

“At the instruction of State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, Examining Magistrate of the North Jocelyn Matta ordered the release of four detainees after questioning them via WhatsApp, in an initiative coordinated with Tripoli Bar Association chief Mohammed al-Murad,” the National News Agency said.

Banque du Liban on Monday called on Lebanon’s banks and financial institutions to grant extraordinary Lebanese lira or US dollar loans to clients already benefitting from loans granted in the past, in light of the new economic strains inflicted by the coronavirus crisis.

The central bank said the new loans can cover previous loan installments for the months of March, April and May; the salaries of the firms’ employees; or other productive and operational needs for the aforementioned period.

The Health Ministry announced in its daily tally on the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus that the eight new cases have been detected with the virus raising the total to 256.

The Finance Ministry announced on Monday that Lebanon is going to "suspend" payments on all its Eurobond in foreign currency after defaulting on its $1.2 billion March 9 debt to safeguard dwindling foreign currency reserves.

Various Parliamentary meetings will be postponed for “general health concerns” over coronavirus, the General Secretariat of the Lebanese Parliament announced on Monday.

It said all meetings of the parliamentary committees held usually at the parliament premises will be postponed for the “safety of lawmakers.”

The Lebanese army and security forces continue to ensure that people stay at home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus that has killed four people nationwide.

Health Minister Hamad Hasan on Monday denied reports claiming that people infected with coronavirus were flown in to Lebanon from Iran, adding that the next ten days of lockdown are very critical to decide on the next measures against the virus spread.

“Precautionary measures against coronavirus are very important but there no need to panic,” Hasan said in remarks to al-Jadeed TV as the country witnesses a two week lockdown.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Sunday described the killing of former Khiyam Prison warden Antoine al-Hayek as “a stab in the heart of the Lebanese state before anything else.”

“The assassination of the citizen Antoine al-Hayek is a stab in the heart of the Lebanese state before anything else, as if someone is saying that they don’t believe in this state nor in its institutions, judiciary and security agencies,” Geagea said in a statement.

Social Affairs and Tourism Minister Ramzi Msharrafiyeh on Sunday announced that aid will be distributed “within a few days” to “needy citizens” affected by the coronavirus lockdown.

In a tweet, Msharrafiyeh said the government will mete out the aid in collaboration with the relevant ministries, the army and the municipalities.