The Lebanese Minister of Health, Firas Al-Abyad, described the new measure as “one of the measures aimed at curbing the recent rise in infections with the Corona virus, and a precautionary measure against the new mutated virus (Omicron).”
He explained that the curfew will start every night from seven in the evening until six in the morning, starting from January 17 to 9 next, for those who have not received at least one dose of the vaccine, or who do not have a test that was conducted no more than 48 hours ago.
He also noted that it is scheduled at a later time to announce the penalties that will be applied to violators.
The new procedures require public places and restaurants to operate at a capacity of only 50 percent, and also require restaurant or hotel patrons to submit a vaccination certificate or a new test certificate, starting from December 10.
Lebanon has not recorded any cases of the “Omicron” mutation, but the country is concerned about the ability of the health care system to deal with a new peak in the outbreak.
The Lebanese Minister of Health added that the Corona Virus Control Committee “wants to avoid imposing a complete closure, and hopes to encourage more individuals to get vaccinated.”
He explained that the new procedures oblige public employees, security elements, the army, health and education employees and workers in the tourism sectors to be fully vaccinated by the tenth of January, or to obtain a negative test result at their own expense twice a week.
“Otherwise, they risk losing their jobs,” he warned, according to the Associated Press.
Lebanon witnessed a 34 percent increase in injuries recorded last week, with an average of more than 1,000 injuries per day.
In total, Lebanon – with a population of about 6 million people – has documented about 670,000 injuries and about 9 thousand deaths due to Covid-19 since 2020.
More than two million people have received at least one dose of the Corona vaccine.
Last winter, Lebanese hospitals suffered from a shortage of supplies and oxygen and an emigration of health workers. The country’s repeated lockdowns have been heavily criticized and mostly ignored amid a severe economic crisis.
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