Even after one year of dealing with the pandemic, Lebanon is still not able to control its borders and is only contributing to the spread of the coronavirus.
This was the remark of Lebanon’s top COVID-19 health expert, the head of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH), Firass Abiad.
Abiad did not rule out the possibility that Lebanon is just “not willing” to do what is right and take control of the borders in order to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
His comments came after 15 positive cases arrived aboard a single MEA flight from Najaf, Iraq. Some other flights also recorded at least one positive case onboard.
Throughout 2020, almost 2.5 million passengers were recorded at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. Having occasional positive cases onboard coming to Lebanon was not uncommon.
Despite the health ministry enforcing restrictions and entry requirements on travelers, many people visiting Lebanon noted that there was a sense of chaos at the airport. Some said they were not even asked to show their PCR test results.
The vaccination campaign may have begun, but Lebanon (and the world) is no near being clear of the pandemic.
We have a dedicated coronavirus section where you can find the latest news/updates about the pandemic in Lebanon, inform yourself with WHO-verified resources, and track the number of cases in Lebanon in real-time. Click here.
