A video has emerged of a pool party at a prominent resort in Batroun and went viral, for all the wrong reasons. The video showed zero display of social distancing measures, which created internet controversy.
The video shared on Instagram received many questioning comments, as people wondered where all of the coronavirus health measures went.
When concerned citizens messaged publicly the resort about it, they were met with questionable responses like “this is a private resort, the groups are together” and “we know the groups” etc.
To a comment saying “It’s not comforting,” the response was that if that was the case “don’t watch our videos….”
Some were even rebuked with “yalla galops.”
These screenshots of some of these exchanges were shared on Twitter by a concerned citizen called Mohammad Hijazi:
Mohammad Hijazi shared them, appealing to the Lebanese Internal Security Forces to do something about it.
Hijazi also shared that there were two news channel reporters from MTV and OTV, respectively, at the resort on that same Sunday.
He also noted that the resort was serving hookah (shisha), which is against the current government’s rules. He commented that it could be seen as hypocritical “while civilians are being fined for not wearing masks or for the odd/even car plates.”
The resort has since responded to Hijazi’s tweets by tweeting the following:
“Mr. Hijazi, it would be preferred if you and some minority mind their own business and keep us abiding our social distance in our own way because [the] community’s health is infected by viruses like yourself who should be isolated far away from social life.”
Even though swimming pools have been allowed to reopen, they have been ordered to follow social distancing and other precautionary measures.
Lebanon has extended the general mobilization phase for the sixth time to fight the surge in coronavirus cases, which were a result of people irresponsibly failing to self-quarantine or to abide by social distancing. People and entities are getting fined for breaking the health measures imposed by the authorities.
In parallel, this occurrence just goes to show how frustrated people have become with the situation in Lebanon. Everyone needs a break and some are apparently willing to risk their lives and those around them for it.
While it is nice to see that some people are able to have fun and go back to a semi-normal life, it is hard not to remember that the rest of the country is struggling with the pandemic and economic issues.
In fact, 80% of swimming pools in Lebanon didn’t even open this summer. Lebanon is banking on hopes that when the airport opens in July, the tourism sector will flourish and help the economy.
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