Lebanon Curfew & Lockdown
Despite the astounding success of Lebanon Curfew the first couple of months, Lebanon faced a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases after Beirut blast.
On August 26, 2020, Lebanon’s Supreme Defense Council agreed to extend the general mobilization until the end of 2020. In light of that, the Interior Minister introduced some amendments to the lockdown rules. According to the updates to the official decision, which will take effect Friday, August 28th at 6 AM, the imposed curfew will start at 10 PM and end at 6 AM every day.
Public institutions and administrations will continue to open in accordance with the adopted official schedule, and the responsible ministers will be tasked with setting the operational capacity of employees, which must exceed 50%.
On September 8, 2020, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities issued Decision No. 1056 related to amending the opening and closing.
Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Decisions and Circulars
You can always check the latest decisions and circulars update on the official site of the Ministry http://www.interior.gov.lb/Desicions.aspx
Decision Number 1056 on September 8, 2020
Download the Official Decision (Arabic)
Decision Number 1032 on August 27, 2020
Download the Official Decision (Arabic)
What do they really mean?
The coronavirus pandemic has now affected in many ways all the continents. Country-wide lockdowns have been issued in many of the affected countries like Italy, Spain and France. China started the lockdown in Wuhan, the place where the virus originated and has been able to control the spread of the cases drastically. Here are the differences between a curfew and lockdown and how they will affect our daily lives. It is important to keep yourself informed about the decisions and announcements from your local authorities.
Curfew:
A curfew is a strict mandate that keeps people off the streets. It is announced according to the state regulations and in emergency situations. People are forced to stay indoors during a set number of hours. Noncompliance to a curfew can lead to a fine or arrest.
Lockdown:
A popular version of the quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, a lockdown is a bigger measure to contain people from leaving home. You might require a certificate to leave home and travel. It forces you to stay where you are, and you must not exit or enter a given area. A lockdown usually allows essential supplies, grocery stores and pharmacies to be functional.
Impact on the essential activities:
During a lockdown you are allowed to do all the essential activities like picking up groceries, going to a doctor or going on a walk, provided you practice social distancing. People working in emergency services are not included in the restrictions. It is advisable to check with the regulations released by your local authorities. Non-essential venues can be closed which include schools, colleges, businesses. There might be restrictions on transportation as well, depending on the spread of the virus in a country.
Government Actions to slow the Spread of Covid-19
- 26 August: General mobilisation extended until 31 December to curb Covid-19. Caretaker PM Hassan Diab says the public mobilisation drive is necessary “to protect people from a dangerous and frightening situation with its consequences”.
- 18 August: New lockdown and overnight curfew to be imposed for two weeks from 21 August. The curfew will last from 6pm-6am, and malls will be closed. Restaurants will be restricted to delivery services, and social gatherings will be banned. Beirut airport will operate normally and ministries will be staffed at half capacity. Areas where recovery work is under way following the Port of Beirut blasts are exempted from new restrictions.
- 17 August: Minister of Public Health, Hamad Hassan, calls for nationwide lockdown, adding: “Face masks are a matter of life or death, so people must wear them everywhere they go.” Hassan’s recommendation for a two-week lockdown excludes Beirut, and calls for special procedures to be implemented at the Port of Beirut, where blast recovery work is under way.
- 13 August: Hassan announces the extension of the state of emergency in Beirut for one month.
- 10 August: Hassan says Minister of Interior & Municipalities, Mohammad Fahmi, and Lebanese Army Commander, Joseph Aoun, have been contacted to discuss the isolation of some districts due to a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. This excludes Beirut, where clean-up activities are under way.
- 27 July: Hassan slams lack of compliance with precautionary measures and confirms the country will reimpose a two-week lockdown from 30 July. Arab News reported he added that the community outbreak of the disease was beginning to take a “dangerous turn” and he regretted “the lack of community discipline and disregard for all preventive measures imposed on people.” Passengers arriving through Beirut International airport must carry a negative Covid-19 test result from their port of departure and will have to stay in quarantine for two days at their own expense in special centres, pending the results of a second PCR test at the airport.
- 14 July: Fines ranging from £Leb550,000 to £Leb5m said to have been introduced for individuals not wearing masks.
Government Measures to Minimise the Economic Crisis
- 26 August: President Michel Aoun says reopening restaurants is vital for tourism and services revenues, but public health priorities will dictate when the sector may reopen. Aoun’s statement comes after AFP reported Lebanese restaurant owners stating they would reopen their facilities in defiance of lockdown measures implemented since last week.
- 19 August: UK sends 238,530 pieces of personal protective equipment to help “overstretched hospitals” in Beirut deal with Covid-19 patients, state news agency NNA reports. The World Health Organisation will distribute the face masks, overalls, gloves, goggles and gowns to hospitals across the city.
- 17 August: Minister of Public Health, Hamad Hassan, recommends that the World Bank’s $40m financial support to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, approved on 12 March, is used to pay private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients. Field hospital construction was also approved for north and south Lebanon.
- 12 August: World Health Organization requests $76m to support Lebanese efforts to combat Covid-19 after the explosions at the Port of Beirut leave 500 to 600 beds unavailable in public and private hospitals. At least half of 55 healthcare clinics and centres surveyed in Beirut are said to be non-functioning.
- 11 August: Health ministry within caretaker Lebanese government meets with Lebanese University official to discuss how the educational institution can support PCR testing operations for arrivals to the country, allowing the ministry to focus on increasing resident tests.
- 24 June: Reopened Rafik Hariri International airport to reduce number of flights from countries where the PCR tests are not available to passengers to 20 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Arab News reports. Flights from countries that have the test will be at 80 per cent of previous levels. Those arriving from countries with PCR tests must produce the results, which must be less than four days old, during check-in. All passengers must be tested at Beirut airport.
