Rafik Hariri University Hospital has taken the lead in Lebanon’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Credit: Houssam Chbaro)
Lebanon will go on nationwide lockdown starting Thursday and continuing until Feb. 1, the ministerial committee on COVID-19 announced. There will be an overnight curfew between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. and a rule restricting vehicles from driving on alternating days according to their license plate will be reinstated. Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan said that punishment for non-compliance “will not be limited to fines,” hinting at stricter legal measures. A full decision containing all the lockdown rules is expected to be issued by the Interior Ministry today.
A new grim COVID-19 record was broken yesterday, as Lebanon registered 2,861 new cases, the highest number of daily infections for a Monday. Case counts are typically lower on Mondays, as testing capacity at labs and hospitals drops over the weekend. Following the lockdown announcement, caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan called on private hospitals to increase the number of beds dedicated to coronavirus patients in intensive care units, labeling the current surge and limited hospital capacity a “danger to the lives of Lebanese people.” Nearly 90 percent of coronavirus ICU beds are occupied, according to the latest figures published by the World Health Organization.
Elias Rahbani, one of Lebanon’s most revered composers and musicians, died after suffering complications from COVID-19. Born in 1938 in Antelias, he was the younger brother of Assi and Mansour Rahbani, who together made up the iconic “Rahbani Brothers,” writing music for legendary singer Fairouz, among many others. Fans and fellow musicians showed an outpouring of admiration on social media for the late composer and their love for his music, emanating from a career that spanned over three decades and took him on tours around the world.
The UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees will be able keep its learning support program running a little longer after securing badly needed funding. An UNRWA spokesperson told L’Orient Today that the agency has obtained funding to continue the program until the end of January and is in “advanced discussion” with a donor to get funding for the rest of the year. Learning support teachers received layoff slips in late 2020 when it appeared UNRWA would be unable to continue the program, prompting a series of protests in Palestinian refugee camps.
Lawyers are on strike for a second day today to protest the alleged assault of lawyer Jimmy Hadchiti by a security officer over the weekend. Hadchiti and his wife, Al Jadeed journalist Clara Geha, got into a dispute with a member of the Internal Security Forces over a parking violation in Hadath, which escalated into a physical altercation between Hadchiti and the officer. The ISF claimed that the officer was acting in self-defense after being shoved by Hadchiti. Melhem Khalaf, the head of the Beirut Bar Association, delivered a fiery statement condemning the incident, saying “the rule of law has perished” and calling for protests outside the country’s justice palaces at noon today.
The central bank’s foreign assets dropped by around $800 million in the second half of December, according to its latest balance sheet. The steep drop means Banque du Liban may have fewer dollars to support imports through its subsidized exchange programs. Officials have been scrambling to decide how to redirect subsidies on medicine, wheat and fuel to support the most vulnerable populations after BDL Gov. Riad Salameh said that there were only enough funds to continue the subsidy program until early this year.
The morning brief will not be published tomorrow as Lebanon observes Armenian Orthodox Christmas. It will be back first thing Thursday morning.