Lebanon to be ‘fully shut down’ from Wednesday evening to Sunday – govt

The government in Beirut on Tuesday decided to fully shut down the country from Wednesday evening until Monday morning at the recommendation of the health minister. The move comes in the wake of the biggest spike in weeks in the numbers of coronavirus cases.

“The general lockdown measures will include exceptions as in the first phase,” Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told reporters after a Cabinet session at the presidential palace in Baabda. “We will carry out a reevaluation on Sunday and the expat repatriation process will continue.”

Information Minister Manal Abdul Samad said “the full lockdown will begin at 7pm Wednesday and end at 5am Monday, with the exemption of health, agricultural, industrial and foodstuff institutions.” She also announced that a meeting will be held at 5pm Tuesday to “take a decision on the issue of flights from abroad,” the National News Agency reports.