A partial lockdown of two weeks will start in Lebanon on Friday to prevent the spread of the feared corona virus. Among other things, a nightly curfew from 6 pm to 6 am has been announced.
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The curfew does not affect the clean-up and repair work in Beirut. The city was largely destroyed by an enormous explosion in the harbor at the beginning of this month. All markets, shopping centers, fitness centers and swimming pools must be closed for two weeks. Restaurants can only deliver. The country recorded a record of 605 new infections yesterday. In total, 10,952 infections and 113 deaths have been registered for 6.8 million inhabitants.
The government has decided to take more measures against the virus due to an increase in the number of infections and because the hospitals in the port are full of injured people as a result of the disaster in the port. The explosion of stored explosive material in the port of Beirut killed approximately 200 people and injured 6,000. Numerous people became homeless.
There is a lot of criticism of the lockdown because at least half of the population is already poverty-stricken and has enough trouble to make a living. Last week there were heavy riots, after which the government announced it would resign.
The Shia movement Hezbollah has called on Friday and Saturday on the important Ashura memorial day not to go outside but to stay at home. On this day, Shias normally take to the streets en masse. They commemorate that a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Hussein ibn Ali, died as a martyr in 680 in the battle near Karbala (present-day Iraq) against the caliph. The battle is seen as a major catalyst in the division of Muslims from Ali, the Shia, and the majority of the Sunnis. Shias are the largest population group in Lebanon.
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