Covid-19: Lebanon imposes a total curfew of 11 days

Empty shelves in a Beirut supermarket on January 11.

The shelves were stormed to build up provisions, after the announcement of the state of emergency.

REUTERS - MOHAMED AZAKIR

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

With more than 220,000 infections and 1,600 deaths for a population of six million, Lebanon is one of the countries where the coronavirus pandemic has experienced the fastest progression in recent weeks.

Faced with the saturation of hospitals, the authorities declared on Monday a state of health emergency and a total closure.

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With our correspondent in Beirut

, 

Paul Khalifeh

 The situation is "

frightening

", the virus is "

out of control

".

The words of President of the Republic Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassane Diab at an urgent meeting of the Superior Council of Defense on Monday are alarming.

Hospitals are overcrowded, health workers are overwhelmed and the Lebanese are showing dismaying recklessness.

Social distancing and barrier gestures are no longer respected, despite the establishment of a third three-week confinement, on January 7.

The popular souks are crowded and a football match with packed bleachers has even been organized in the north of the country.

Faced with this disaster which risks becoming very quickly unmanageable, the authorities have struck hard.

A state of health emergency has been declared, giving the army and the security services vast prerogatives to enforce the measures decided upon.

Drastic measures that will come into force between January 14 and 25.

The country will be completely sealed off and a curfew will be imposed day and night.

All economic activities will be suspended except those related to the health sector /

Beirut Airport will operate at 20% of its capacity with an obligation for those arriving to observe a quarantine ranging from 2 to 7 days.

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  • Lebanon

  • Coronavirus