BEIRUT: The number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon has reached 28, health officials in the country said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Ministerial Committee for Combating Coronavirus has decided to extend the closure of schools and universities until March 14, and to close all entertainment centers such as gyms, nightclubs, cinemas, exhibitions and conferences for a week. It is also urging people to avoid crowded places and gatherings.
The ministries of interior, tourism, economy, culture, and youth and sports will follow up on implementation of these measures.
“Lebanon is weak in the face of the virus because of the great administrative deterioration in the Health Ministry and the public health sector, particularly in public hospitals, accompanied by a severe economic crisis,” Ismail Sukariya, a gastroenterologist at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, told Arab News.
“Since the arrival of the first plane from (the Iranian city of) Qom, the (Lebanese) health minister should’ve taken strict measures. The decision was political, and we can’t stop Lebanese citizens from coming home,” Sukariya said.
“Lebanon will see dozens of infections by the end of the month … The virus might stay active until summer, just like the World Health Organization announced on Saturday.”
The Justice Ministry has extended the suspension of hearings until March 13, and Beirut Arab University (BAU) is continuing to suspend classes and replace attendance with online courses.
The head of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdul-Amir Qablan, has urged people to reduce gatherings at mosques and abide by the directives of the Health Ministry and medical bodies.
He has also urged those who have the virus to report it to ensure their safety and that of their families.
Health Minister Hamad Hassan ordered all university hospitals to start conducting coronavirus tests because the number of suspected cases is increasing and will soon exceed the capacity of the laboratory of Rafik Hariri University Hospital. Those who test positive will be quarantined at that hospital.
Municipalities have started to organize mandatory courses for police personnel on how to deal with suspected cases and immediately intervene in case someone dies, so as to prevent further infections.
Lebanon on alert as coronavirus cases reach 28
https://arab.news/yv7pd
Lebanon on alert as coronavirus cases reach 28
- School and universities will remain closed until March 14.
- Authorities have ordered closure of all entertainment centers such as gyms, nightclubs, cinemas, exhibitions and conferences for a week
Tunisian police arrest member of parliament who mocked president
- Ahmed Saidani mocked the president in a Facebook post, describing him as the “supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage”
TUNIS: Tunisian police arrested lawmaker Ahmed Saidani on Wednesday, two of his colleagues said, in what appeared to be part of an escalating crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied.
Saidani has recently become known for his fierce criticism of Saied. On Tuesday, he mocked the president in a Facebook post, describing him as the “supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage,” blasting what he said was the absence of any achievements by Saied.
Saidani was elected as a lawmaker at the end of 2022 in a parliamentary election with very low voter turnout, following Saied’s dissolution of the previous parliament and dismissal of the government in 2021.
Saied has since ruled by decree, moves the opposition has described as a coup.
Most opposition leaders, some journalists and critics of Saied, have been imprisoned since he seized control of most powers in 2021.
Activists and human rights groups say Saied has cemented his one-man rule and turned Tunisia into an “open-air prison” in an effort to suppress his opponents. Saied denies being a dictator, saying he is enforcing the law and seeking to “cleanse” the country.
Once a supporter of Saied’s policies against political opponents, Saidani has become a vocal critic in recent months, accusing the president of seeking to monopolize all decision-making while avoiding responsibility, leaving others to bear the blame for problems.
Last week, Saidani also mocked the president for “taking up the hobby of taking photos with the poor and destitute,” sarcastically adding that Saied not only has solutions for Tunisia but claims to have global approaches capable of saving humanity.
Under Tunisian law, lawmakers enjoy parliamentary immunity and cannot be arrested for carrying out their duties, although detention is allowed if they are caught committing a crime.
