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Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council Recommends Two-Week Extension of Lockdown

Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council Recommends Two-Week Extension of Lockdown
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By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council Tuesday recommended a two-week extension of a general mobilization period until June 7, amid a continued spike of coronavirus infections in the country.

If the Cabinet approves it, this will be the fifth extension of nationwide lockdown measures to stem the spread of coronavirus that had been initially implemented on March 15 and is set to end on May 24.

Relatively, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab during a Cabinet session said that Lebanon could go under total lockdown once again if citizens did not adhere to distancing measures. Diab had warned that “unprecedented measures” could be implemented if this “state of chaos” persists.

The prime minister called on the Lebanese people not to take the coronavirus issue lightly and to take preventive measures against it.

Lebanon recorded 23 new infections Tuesday. Eight of the infections were detected among the local population and 15 among returning expats, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 954, the Health Ministry said.

A total of 1,296 PCR test were administered to locals and expats during the last 24 hours.

After the Higher Defense Council meeting Health Minister Hamad Hassan said that “we are in a transitional phase,” and called on the cooperation of municipalities and communities to ensure that lockdown measures are being followed.

Hassan warned that if some citizens do not adhere to the procedures that “the solution maybe to isolate some areas.”

Hassan reminded Lebanese that the recent spike of infections led to a four-day lockdown over the weekend which could happen again.

Amid the uptick of infections, Cabinet Tuesday agreed to end the academic year for schools and to cancel official state exams.

Students who were set to take official exams were supposed to return to school on May 28 and the rest at the beginning of June, however in light of the Cabinet’s new decision they will continue their education online until the end of May only.

Calls for ending the academic year, with students effectively passing their classes, in addition to the cancellation of the Brevet and Baccalaureate exams have recently increased by concerned parents and committees, and was proposed by Education Minister Tarek Majzoub during the session.

The academic year in Lebanon was disrupted on multiple occasions, with schools closing during the mass protests in October and later as of March in accordance with coronavirus lockdown measures.

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