BEIRUT — The Higher Defense Council on Wednesday extended the general mobilization from its expiry date on Dec. 31 to March 31, in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Lebanon in recent weeks and the worldwide spread of the coronavirus’ new variant, Omicron.

Here’s what we know:

    • The move enables the government to continue to take preventive measures to help counter the disease as high numbers of new daily COVID-19 cases persist. The Higher Defense Council also decided to maintain “the measures and restrictions taken previously.”

    • On Dec. 16, the government’s health committee made a series of decisions, including the introduction of a curfew for the unvaccinated during the holiday season; making full vaccination mandatory for all public sector employees, as well as employees in the education, health and tourism sectors, as of Jan. 10; and extending the winter vacation for students of schools and universities from Dec. 16 to Jan. 10 in order to give schools more time to vaccinate students.

   • COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in recent weeks, with 1,806 new infections recorded yesterday and 301 people with the virus in intensive care units across the country.