Curfew
from 5am, 14/01/2021 till 5am, 25/01/2021, with some exceptions.
Tightening-up
the implementation of laws which punish hospitals when refusing to receive
emergency cases, and punishing non-compliance with preventive measures, and
putting tickets against violators into effect.
President
Aoun stressed the need to “Take drastic measures which enable us to mitigate
the catastrophic consequences of this outbreak”.
PM
Diab: “We have taken new measures, which the military and security apparatuses
must apply”.
The Supreme
Defense Council convened at 3:00pm today, at the Presidential Palace, in an
extraordinary session chaired by President of the Republic, General Michel
Aoun, and attended by caretaker Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab.
The meeting was
devoted to discuss the health and hospital sector situation and it was decided
to declare a state of health emergency to confront the danger of Corona virus.
The Council also asked security apparatuses and judicial authorities to
strictly implement laws which punish hospitals when they do not receive
emergency cases, as well as punishing for the failure to adhere to preventive
and public safety measures and procedures.
The Supreme
Defense Council also decided to declare a curfew from 5am on Thursday 14th
of January, until 5am Monday 25th of January 2021, provided that the
bodies, persons and institutions mentioned in the table are excluded from this
decision.
At the
beginning of the meeting, President Aoun stressed the need to “Take radical
measures so that we can mitigate the catastrophic consequences of Corona
outbreak”, calling for declaring a state of health emergency to confront this
dangerous situation.
For his part,
caretaker Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, said “The continued indolence that
we have witnessed during the past few days by imposing the implementation of
measures will cause a humanitarian and social disaster”. PM Diab also pointed
“There is a consensus that there must be strictness and firmness in imposing a
commitment to all areas. It is the duty of everyone to pursue the application
of these measures and it is not permissible to be lenient”.
The meeting was
preceded by a meeting between President Aoun and PM Diab, during which the
implications of the Corona pandemic were tackled.
The meeting was
attended by Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister, Zeina Akar and
ministers of: Finance, Ghazi Wazny, Foreign Affairs, Charbel Wehbe, Interior
and Municipalities, Mohammed Fahmy, Economy and Trade, Raoul Nehme, Public
Works and Transport, Michel Najjar, and Public Health, Hamad Hasan.
Also attending
the meeting were: Deputy Chief of Staff in the
Lebanese Army representing the Army Commander, Brigadier General Bassam Yassin,
General Security Director-General, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director
General of Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad Othman, Director
General of State Security, Major General Tony Saliba, Secretary-General of the
Supreme Defense Council, Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Discrimination Public
Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Ouweidat, Presidency Director-General, Dr. Antoine
Choucair, Government Commissioner at the Court of Military Judge Fadi Akiki, Head
of Hospital Owners’ Syndicate, Engineer Suleiman Haroun, Head of the Lebanese
Order of Physicians, Dr. Sharaf Abou Sharaf, Head of Nurses’ Syndicate, Dr.
Mirna Abi Abdullah Doumit, Lebanese Red Cross President, Dr. Antoine Zoghby,
Lebanese Red Cross Secretary-General, George Kettany, the President’s Health and
Social Affairs’ Advisor, Dr. Walid Khoury, Prime Minister’s Advisor, Dr. Petra
Khoury, Director General of the Lebanese Presidency, Dr. Antoine Choucair, Director
of Army Intelligence, Brigadier General Tony Kahwaji and the President’s
Security and Military Advisor, retired Brigadier General, Paul Matar.
Statement:
After the
meeting, Major General Al-Asmar, read the following statement:
“The Supreme
Defense Council held an extraordinary meeting chaired by His Excellency the
President of the Republic General Michel Aoun, in the presence of the Prime
Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, a number of concerned ministers, leaders of the
military and security services, Discriminatory Public Prosecutor, Government Commissioner
at the Military Court, a number of captains of the health professions and the
Lebanese Red Cross.
At the
beginning of the meeting, President Aoun discussed the seriousness of the
health situation which resulted from Corona virus spread, stating that
hospitals are no longer able to receive the injured.
“We have seen
catastrophic scenes of citizens in front of hospitals looking for a seat or
bed, and some were waiting until a bed was emptied. Regarding this reality, it
is impossible to remain silent on the tragedies that we see in front of
hospitals. Radical measures must be taken so that we can mitigate the
catastrophic consequences of Corona virus outbreak” President Aoun said and
called for declaring a state of health emergency to confront this dangerous
situation.
Then, Prime
Minister Hassan Diab said “We are unfortunately facing a frightening health
situation. Corona virus has escaped control due to the stubbornness of people
and their rebellion against measures taken to protect them from the threat of
this pandemic. However, let us also admit that the enforcement of these
measures was not equal to the level of the risk. What we have seen, in the past
days, specifically since Thursday, that is since the lockdown decision began,
didn’t imply that the state exists and imposes its prestige: open markets, crowding
of people, and entire regions not concerned with the decision”.
“The state’s
appearance was absent, and in some areas there was a public challenge to this
decision of closure. The state and all agencies watched as the decision was
broken and the prestige was lost. What happened is unacceptable. The state and
its administrative military and security apparatus must not resign from
responsibility to protect citizens, nor hesitate to perform duties. Corona
virus will never distinguish between a region and another, nor between a
citizen and another. The continuation of indolence that we have seen during the
past days in imposing the implementation of measures will result in a
humanitarian and social disaster. We will lose our families, relatives and we will
also lose ourselves. The situation doesn’t tolerate any indulgence” PM Diab
continued.
“Hospitals are
full of sensitive and dangerous cases, people will stand at the doors of
hospitals. We will be faced with a Lebanese situation of Corona spread which is
worse than the Italian model. Is this acceptable!? Who will bear such
situation? It is true that people bear primary responsibility because of their
lack of commitment. But there is also responsibility on the state’s
administrative and military apparatuses because of the lack of implementation
of obligation at the societal level” the Prime Minister added.
In addition, PM
Diab said “Why were the measures during the last few days not up to the level
of danger? Continuation in laxity in implementing general lockdown will lead
the country to a disaster. Expectations are that this week will be more
difficult for severe Corona cases. Medical expectations say that painful scenes
will be repeated in all regions due to the lack of individual commitment, and
failure to impose closure”.
Then, PM Diab
pointed out that “In today’s meeting of the Ministerial Committee to confront
Corona pandemic, there were several questions about repulsive scenes which we
have seen in the past days, and about the role of military and security
apparatuses in controlling the situation. There is a consensus that there must
be strictness and firmness in enforcing compliance in all regions. There
shouldn’t be areas of indulgence. Measures are not only on highways and
city-entrances, measures must be put into practice in every district, street
and town. Relying on peoples’ awareness in not enough. Everyone is responsible,
and interested in protecting the Lebanese. The political authority has taken
measures, and it is everyone’s duty to pursue the implementation of these
measures. No indulgence is allowed, and decisions to protect people-lives are
not allowed to only remain in on paper, or merely debatable theories”.
“Today, we have
taken new measures which include more strictness. Military and security
apparatuses are required to strictly implement these procedures, since failure
means a comprehensive health collapse, God forbid. And I am sure that you are
keen on the Lebanese people and you will do your part and sacrifice for their
protection” the Prime Minister added.
Finally, Prime
Minister Diab concluded asserting that “The army will continue distributing the
financial aid, amounting 400,000 Lebanese pounds, over the next few days,
targeting about 280,000 families and covering all Lebanese regions”.
The Supreme
Defense Council was informed of the recommendations issued by the Ministerial
Committee, which was held this morning in 11/1/2021 under the chairmanship of
the Prime Minister, and approved by the Supreme Council of Defense after some
amendments were made, provided that the exceptional approval is given by His
Excellency the President and the Prime Minister and later on by the Cabinet.
Within the
framework of the announcement of public mobilization issued under Decree No.
7315 dated 31/12/2020 related to the extension of the declaration of public
mobilization to confront the spread of the Coronavirus until 31/3/2021
implicitly, the state of health emergency is declared and the following
measures are taken:
First:
Compulsion of arrivals from the following cities: Baghdad, Istanbul, Adana,
Cairo and Addis Ababa, which constitute 85% of the number of infections from
arrivals out of about 500 arrivals per month, to stay at their expense for 7
days in a hotel and undergo a PCR test on the first day when they arrive and a
second checkup on the sixth day of their arrival. On the other hand, passenger
traffic at Rafic Hariri International Airport will be reduced from its date to
20% compared to the number of arriving passengers in January of 2020, provided
that the arrivals undergo an immediate examination (PCR) at the airport and
another examination a week after their arrival. During which the arriving
travelers are obliged to quarantine in a hotel for a maximum period of 72 hours
until the results of the airport examination are issued and after that they
follow the quarantine at their place of residence if the test result is
negative, and in the opposite case the instructions of the Ministry of Public
Health in this regard are followed, provided that diplomats, their families,
officials and delegations are excluded Officials, officers and members of the
United Nations, as well as persons who received the Corona vaccine according to
a report or medical record are also excluded from the quarantine, and they are
only then subject to immediate examination (PCR) at the airport as a
precaution.
-Preventing the
movement of arriving travelers through land and sea border crossings, excluding
transit with tickets with a date of transit.
-Emphasizing
that those coming to Lebanon must fill out the form designated for arrivals
through the electronic application (#Ma3an Against Coronavirus Ma3an App)
prepared by the Public Health Ministry, provided that the airlines ensure that
the passenger on board has a negative PCR test result, and fills it out for
this form before, to allow him to board on the next plane to Lebanon.
-Minutes of
applying this procedure are determined when necessary, and subject to periodic
evaluation by a committee composed of ministers of Interior, municipalities,
public health, tourism, public works and transportation.
Second: Requesting
concerned ministers to tighten the procedures provided by the law and the
declared state of public mobilization in order to compel private hospitals to
create extra care beds dedicated to treating Corona patients under the risk of
legal, administrative and judicial prosecution, especially the requesting
guarantor bodies to stop working with hospitals that do not receive Corona
cases and provided that the number of intensive care beds required to be
provided by private hospitals is not reduced as follows:
-4 Beds for T3
rated hospitals
-6 to 8 beds
for T2-rated hospitals
- 8 to 12 beds
for T1-rated hospitals
-12 beds and
above for university hospitals.
Third: Requesting security agencies and the judicial
authorities to strictly enforce the laws that punish hospitals when they do not
receive emergency cases, including cases of Corona (according to Article 567 of
the Penal Code), as well as punish those who fail to adhere to the procedures
and measures of prevention and public safety and to enact the necessary records
of violations against those who violate these measures leading to a pandemic
spread (according to Article 770 of the Penal Code), especially organizing
violation-minutes according to Form No. 401 approved by the Internal Security
Forces, and in the event of repetition, organizing judicial investigation
reports against violators according to Form (302) and giving instructions to Governors
to implement the sealing of administratively violating institutions with wax
the Red.
Fourth: It
is forbidden to go out to the streets and roads from five o’clock in the
morning on Thursday 14/1/2021 until five o’clock in the morning of Monday, corresponding
to 25/1/2021.
An exception is
made for authorities, institutions and persons specified in the body of this
decision and the attached table, which is an integral part of it, provided that
they adhere to all public safety measures issued by the Ministry of Public
Health, in particular, the obligation to wear masks, ensure social distancing,
and not overcrowding in accordance with the following controls, conditions and
exceptions:
-Excluding
technical teams of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and those in
charge of maintaining roads, opening waterways and removing snow, provided that
the Minister of Public Works and Transport issues the necessary license for
this purpose.
-Closing all
public administrations and institutions, independent interests, universities,
public and private schools, various nurseries, public parks, docks (Sea
Corniche), public and private sports stadiums, both internal and external, and
the Casino du Liban. Provided that it is left to the ministers to define the minimum
required for managing emergency matters in their ministries and public
institutions subject to their guardianship, not exceeding 10% of the total
employees and employees, except for the Ministry of Finance, so that this limit
becomes 50% in the Ministry of Finance.
-The main
institutions of the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Interior and
Municipalities, in addition to the General Directorate of State Security, the
Lebanese Red Cross, Civil Defense and firefighting groups of all kinds.
-The Ministry
of Public Health and its field and volunteer teams, hospitals, government
clinics, social care centers, and everything related to the health sector in
the hospital, pharmaceutical, laboratory, and medicine fields, as presented in
the attached table.
-The General
Directorate of Social Security, the General Directorate of State Employees’
Cooperation, Mutual Guarantor Funds, insurance companies, health observers,
auditors and the TPA, in relation to hospital, health, pharmaceutical and
laboratory approvals.
-Rafic Hariri
International Airport and everything related to its administration as well as
the management of all sea and land ports.
-The
Electricity of Lebanon Corporation and all other institutions and companies
responsible for securing and distributing electric current in all Lebanese
regions, with everything related to production, supply, distribution and
emergency maintenance.
-The General
Directorate of Oil at the Ministry of Energy and Water and the management of
oil installations, with everything related to securing, storing and
distributing fuels, including fuel stations, companies and institutions that
handle the import, storage and distribution of gas.
-The General
Directorate of Water and Electrical Resources, Water Institutions, the National
Authority for the Litani River, and the General Directorate of Investment, with
regard to securing, storing and distributing water, and the private companies
and institutions that handle the bottling and distribution of water.
-The Ministry
of Communications, the OGERO Authority, and everything related to the
telecommunications sector in terms of ensuring the continuity of the Internet
service and the fixed and cellular telephone networks.
-The Central
Bank (BDL) with the minimum work limit, as determined by the Governor of the
bank.
-All public
administration headquarters and branches of commercial banks operating in
Lebanon shall be closed, provided that banks secure the work of specific
departments in public administrations, namely the departments of informatics,
operations, and the treasury, in order to carry out urgent operations related
exclusively to hospitalization cases or the provision of medicine, medical
supplies and urgent food security. Banks also ensure that ATMs operate daily
without interruption, and that the Bank of Lebanon secures cash amounts daily
in accordance with the rules, with reference to the continuation of work with
bank cards as usual at all points of sale operating in Lebanon. Banks also are
to provide a call center service or a hotline service for banks that do not
have a call center service around the clock, in order to secure the
aforementioned services, bank administrations issue specific licenses to the
employees concerned exclusively with those services and deliver lists of names
to those concerned to ensure proper application and control.
-Judges and
lawyers related to securing remote trials, in order to decide requests to
release detainees, as well as to consider urgent cases and urgent matters.
-Heads and
members of the diplomatic corps and the International Red Cross.
-UN personnel
to the extent that would conduct emergency affairs according to a decision
issued by the UN Special Coordinator.
-Clerics
assigned to duties in social centers, provided that they possess a card issued
by the competent religious authorities and whose use is restricted during the
period of closure.
-With the
exception of what is mentioned in this decision and in the attached table
linked to it, suspending work in companies, private institutions, shops of all
kinds, outdoor and indoor stadiums, sports clubs, offices of self-employed
persons, popular markets, cinemas, museums, theaters, video poker halls,
electronic games, parties are also prohibited, Public and private events,
social events, and gatherings of all kinds.
-Assigning the
Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to coordinate with the religious
authorities with the aim of closing religious sites and canceling religious
events of all kinds and diversity.
Fifth: Concerned
Ministries are required, each according to their competence and in coordination
with each other, as well as from all security apparatuses, to take all measures
that would put this decision into immediate implementation and give the
necessary directives to strictly apply it, in addition to strictly respecting
safety measures and preventing the Corona virus, including restricting the
movement of cars according to the attached schedule. Exempted from this
restriction, and during active service times are: employees of the General
Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic, the General Secretariat of the
Parliament, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministries of
National Defense and the Interior, municipalities, the military, employees of
the health and pharmacist sectors, workers in the diplomatic corps, the media,
according to the urgent need and mechanisms of each of the military, civil
defense, fire and police Municipalities, the International and Lebanese Red
Cross, ambulance services, the medical apparatus, heads and members of the
diplomatic corps and United Nations personnel, as well as cranes designated for
transporting and towing cars and vehicles for people with additional needs
supplied with a card from the Ministry of Social Affairs, arrivals and
departures from and to Rafic Hariri International Airport, provided that they
have a copy of the travel ticket as a mandatory document. Job cards are to be
shown to prove the identity of the excluded persons during their transportation
to and from their duty stations.
Sixth: Requesting
the Ministry of Information to take the necessary measures to intensify
awareness campaigns.
Seventh: This
decision will be reviewed when necessary based on periodic evaluation and data
submitted by the Ministerial Committee charged with following-up on the issue
of preventive measures and procedures for the Coronavirus. The Ministry of
Interior and Municipalities, in coordination with the Presidency of the Council
of Ministers, is tasked with excluding some emergency cases from the lockdown
decision and the table attached to it, within the controls and conditions
determined by it and consistent with the purpose of the closure.
Table of
Recommendations (10/1/2021):
Factories
medicines, serums and oxygen: 24 hours
Work hours are
determined on the basis of shifts according to the nature of work, provided
that the following are observed:
-Health
conditions, prevention measures and public safety.
-Personal
cleanliness.
-Lack of
overcrowding.
-Maintaining
adequate distances between people.
-Permanent
sterilization.
-The minimum
number of users, not exceeding 50% of the total number of users.
- It is limited
to manufacturing only, without distribution
Basic food
products (milk, cheese, milk, chicken farms ...) 5.00 to 15.00.
Mills 24 hours.
Bakeries 24
hours.
Wholesale
vegetable / fruit market 2.00 to 14.00 Restricted only to merchants.
Fish / Meat /
Poultry 5.00 to 12.00, restricted only to traders.
Distribution of
medicines and medical equipment 5.00 to 17.00.
Food and drug
warehouses 5.00 to 17.00.
Retail stores,
supermarkets and mini-markets.
Dairy and
cheese shops.
Vegetables and
fruits.
Butchery / fish
/ poultry.
Pastry – bean.
Restaurants and
stores selling fast food and fast food 5.00 to 17.00.
Delivery service
only.
Bakeries 8.00
to 15.00.
Water vending
5.00 to 17.00 Delivery service only.
Pharmacy
establishments, according to the decision of the Pharmacists Syndicate, to
organize customer roles to avoid overcrowding at home and abroad while
maintaining adequate distances between customers.
Clinics 8.00 to
17.00.
Medical
laboratories 24 hours.
Agricultural
and veterinary pharmacy and veterinary clinics 8.00 to 17.00.
Livestock
farms, poultry, fish, beekeeping and agricultural work 24 hours.
Sale of
newspapers and magazines and their distribution centers 5.00 12.00.
Liban Post -
laundry - vision and hearing test stores.
Security /
guarding companies 24 hours, provided that health conditions, prevention and
public safety measures are adhered to.
Hotels and
furnished apartments to adhere to health conditions and preventive and public
safety measures / periodic sterilization and to limit the provision of food and
drinks in rooms and not to use halls and / or restaurants to receive customers
and residents of hotels and furnished apartments.
Banking and
money transfer shops. 8.00 to 17.00
Organizing
floors to avoid crowding inside and outside, while maintaining adequate
distances between customers.
Shipping
companies (by air, land and sea) and clearing goods must comply with health
conditions, preventive and public safety measures.
Reducing the
number of employees to the minimum to conduct the business while taking into
account remote work.
Maintaining
adequate distances between customers.
Permanent
sterilization.
Insurance
companies and offices.
Companies
selling internet equipment, generators and closed cell phone.
Gas stations.
5.00 to 17.00
without car wash.
Travel agencies
are closed and work remotely.
Centers for
requesting travel visas approved by foreign embassies in Lebanon 8.00 to 15.00.
Gas filling and
distribution stations and companies 8.00 to 17.00.
Adherence to health conditions, preventive
measures and public safety, while maintaining adequate distances between
customers.
Maintenance
teams for generators and the Internet to adhere to health conditions,
preventive measures, public safety, and conditions for transporting vehicles
and motorcycles.
Companies that
collect, transport and sweep waste, their users, companies that treat such
waste (landfill and dust), and companies supervising their work 24 hours.
Money transfer
companies 8.00 to 17.00, 4 persons with the mechanism, including the driver
(with muzzle).
Transport in
public cars:
Transportation
in private cars is closed, except for cars heading to and from the airport,
provided that a copy of the travel card is shown for this purpose in addition
to and to medical institutions, provided that he shows a card from the
institution in which he works.
Trucks
transporting vegetables, livestock and food.
Refrigerated
trucks to transport milk, milk and cheese.
Trucks
transporting agricultural goods and animal feed of all kinds 2.00 to 14.00.
Motorbikes only
for delivery service”.