COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
The COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Lebanon in February 2020. As of 10 June 2020, some of the hardest-hit cities and towns in the country include Beirut and its metropolitan area, Bcharre in the North of the country and Majdel Anjar in the Beqaa Governorate.
Background
On 12 January, the World Health Organization confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality rate for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Timeline
!Cases!Deaths
!Recoveries
February 2020
On 21 February 2020, Lebanon confirmed its first case of COVID-19: a 45-year-old woman traveling back from pilgrimage in Qom, Iran tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was transferred to a hospital in Beirut.On 26 February, a second woman, who returned from Iran on the same Mahan Air flight as the first patient, also tested positive.
On 27 February, a 77-year-old Iranian man, who arrived from Iran on 24 February, tested positive and was admitted to Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut.
On 28 February, a Syrian woman tested positive and was admitted to Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut.
On 29 February, the total reached 7 confirmed cases.
March 2020
On 1 March, the Ministry of Health announced 3 new cases, which had been in self-isolation following their arrival to Lebanon from Iran days before, bringing the total to 13 cases.On 4 March, total confirmed cases reach 15.
On 10 March, the first coronavirus-related death is recorded.
On 11 March, Rafik Hariri University Hospital announced the second death due to the virus in Lebanon to a 55-year-old man. There were also 9 new cases. The first fully recovered patient was also announced.
On 12 March, the third death was reported for a 79-year-old man. He was infected from the first deceased patient at a hospital in Byblos.
On 13 March, total number reaches 78 in Lebanon, which includes an employee at the Ministry of Public Health.
On 14 March, 15 new coronavirus cases are announced in Lebanon, bringing the total of 93.
On 15 March, 6 new cases are announced, total at 99. Lebanon declared a state of medical emergency. The government announced the closure of Beirut Airport, seaports and land entrances for 2 weeks, starting from March 18.
On 21 March, Prime Minister Hassan Diab in a televised speech urged people in Lebanon to implement "self-curfew," adding that the lockdown measures will be enforced more strictly by the security forces.
On 26 March, Lebanon imposed a partial curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to slow the spread of the virus. 35 new cases were also announced, bringing the total number of infected to 368.
On 30 March, there were 446 confirmed cases and 11 deaths.
April 2020
On 2 April, Philippine ambassador to Lebanon, Bernardita Catalla, died of COVID-19 in Beirut at the age of 62. She was the first Filipino diplomat to succumb to the disease. Human Rights Watch released a report saying that at least 21 Lebanese municipalities have introduced discriminatory restrictions on Syrian refugees that do not apply to Lebanese residents as part of their efforts to combat COVID-19, undermining the country's public health response.On 4 April, the Minister Of Health department announced there were 520 total cases of COVID-19.
On 9 April, the Lebanese Cabinet extended the national lockdown, which started on 15 March and was extended on 26 March, for an additional 2 weeks until 26 April.
On 22 April, a Palestinian from Syria became the first case reported in a refugee camp, located in the Wavel refugee camp in Bekaa. The total number of cases was 682, with 22 deaths.
May 2020
On 5 May, the national lockdown was extended by the government for an additional 2 weeks until 24 May. The total number of cases was 741, with 25 deaths as of 5 May.On 7 May, 25 Lebanese citizens who boarded an inbound flight from Nigeria tested positive.
On 13 May, a full lockdown went into effect until 18 May due to a large increase in positive cases. Over 100 new cases in the previous 4 days were announced, bring the total number of infected to 870, with 26 deaths.
On 21 May, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported 63 new cases of the coronavirus, the largest single-day increase since the outbreak of the pandemic. Many of the new cases were the result of Lebanese expatriates returning home, Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad said.
Containment
Education
On 28 February, the Minister of Education Tarek al-Majzoub announced the closure of all educational institutions starting on 29 February until 8 March. The decision was seen as unnecessarily strict by some universities including the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, and the Univeristé Saint-Joseph who called for evidence-based decision-making to avoid unnecessary panic. After initially announcing that it would stay open in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ignoring the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education's request that it shut down, in early March 2020 the university announced that it would close down. The universities did ultimately abide by the decision and close after discussions with the Minister of Education. The American University of Beirut has consequently formed an expert committee for independent advising on the pandemic.On 6 March, the Minister of Health Hamad Hassan declared that "Lebanon is no longer in Coronavirus containment stage" following the entry of several new cases to Lebanon coming from countries previously classified as not infected and urged the population to take preventive measures such as avoiding public venues, like resorts and theaters. Following this statement, the closure of schools, universities, and nurseries was extended to March 14.
Religion
In reaction to the pandemic, several religious institutions in Lebanon decided to act proactively changing traditional ceremony methods to limit the spread of the virus. Churches and mosques have been cleaned and disinfected, and practices have been adjusted. Within Christian communities, churches have emptied fonts of holy water, and communion is carried out by handing the Eucharist instead of placing directly in the mouth. Similarly, within Muslim communities, it was recommended that people use their own prayer rugs and do ritual cleaning at home. Instructions by both religious parties recommend greetings without hand-shaking nor kissing.Churches and mosques were reopened on 10 May at reduced capacity. The number of worshipers is not allowed to exceed 30% of the total capacity, and sanitary conditions and preventive measures must be followed. Churches and mosques were closed since 15 March to prevent the spread of the virus.
Public places and businesses
On 21 January, weeks before the first case in Lebanon was confirmed, the Lebanese Football Association announced that they would suspend operations due to financial reasons; this suspension caused all remaining games of the 2019–20 Lebanese Premier League season to be cancelled.On 6 March, gyms, cinemas, theaters, and nightclubs were ordered to close their doors.
On 11 March, all restaurants in Lebanon closed.
On 12 March, most major malls announced their closure until further notice.
On 4 May, restaurants and barbers were allowed to reopen, although at reduced capacity.
Government
On 9 March, Lebanese Parliament closed down. All people were instructed by the government to stay home and the army was asked to interfere by order from Lebanese president and prime minister.On 12 March, the government announced that internet service through the public provider Ogero would be boosted through the end of April, to encourage users to stay home. Other private internet companies and phone line companies followed suit with similar discounts/boosts for their customers.
Technology
On 21 February 2020, the international Lebanese website, "", was the first Lebanese website to officially cover the COVID-19 situation in Lebanon, with its page "", thus, it was the first to offer official emergency and cases numbers, non-commercial recommendations and advice that are based on science and the actual situation on the Lebanese territories.On 12 March 2020, a media site in Lebanon, The961, announced the launch of monitoring the number of confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries in Lebanon in real-time, manually cross-referencing three sources by directly communicating with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and the Lebanese Red Cross. In the announcement thread, The961 founder, Anthony Kantara, explained the frustration of the lack of consistent and clear information as the motivator. The dedicated page also includes the latest news, updates and FAQs surrounding COVID-19.
On 19 March, the Information Minister Manal Abdul Samad launched a government site dedicated to the COVID-19 outbreak in Lebanon. However, the website updates may depend on the ministry availability constraints.
Politicization
As the first flight introducing coronavirus patients was a flight from Qom, Iran—a city plagued by the coronavirus—some Lebanese citizens and media have cast blame onto Iran and Hezbollah for being silent about the issue and not taking necessary measures against it. Some agents blamed Iran for bringing in the virus to the country. Following that, Information Minister Manal Abdul-Samad warned against involving political tensions in the pandemic.Economic impact
Non-payment of salaries was reported. A suffocating economic crisis has left Lebanon's poor with little or no means to cope with extra hardship.The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet raised the alarm on Lebanon's socio-economic crisis on 10 July 2020. Her statement cited Lebanese and UN figures that estimated 75% of Lebanon's population are in need of aid. Since October, the Lira had lost more than 80% of its value and chronic power cuts are now the norm. In addition, Lebanon hosts more than 250,000 migrant workers, many of which have lost their jobs, not been paid, been left homeless, and unable to send remittances to their families back home. Bachlet called on the country's political parties to urgently enact reforms and prioritize essentials such as electricity, food, health and education.