As of Thursday, March 26th, the Lebanese Cabinet has extended the nationwide lockdown for another 15 days. Along with this decision, the Cabinet has announced a new nightly curfew to limit the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The nightly curfew will start at 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. and will be implemented as of Friday, March 27th. This is meant to guarantee that people confine themselves at home and only leave the house if extremely necessary, like needing medical care or leaving early for work.
Moreover, according to The National, the government announced that “all shops and institutions must be closed between 5 pm and 7 am in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”
The military has already been enforcing quarantine by writing tickets for people violating lockdown. Now, even stricter measures will have to be taken to ensure the Lebanese citizens abide by these new decisions.
The lockdown was originally meant to end on March 29th, but as coronavirus cases continue to escalate, and with six people dead, more pressing decisions needed to be made.
Lebanese citizens will now have to wait until April 12th for the next step. Either the lockdown will be over, or it will be extended again.
This depends on people’s understanding of the gravity of the virus, and if they follow lockdown rules properly.
Get the latest news and updates about the coronavirus outbreak in Lebanon along with a live monitor of cases in Lebanon as well as resources and information to help you guide the outbreak on our dedicated coronavirus page.
