BEIRUT, Aug 21 (Reuters) – Lebanon set up a two-part two-week launch campaign on Friday in an effort to counter COVID-19 infections that have been spiraling since the catastrophic explosion at Beirut port.
The spread of COVID-19 compares the misery of a country that is still raining from the 4-year-old that killed at least 179 people and injured about 6,000, and a financial meltdown that has devastated the economy since October.
“In this area, those who escape to death have relatives who are injured, there are no houses or cars, honestly we have forgotten corona,” said Nabil Nahed, 50, a public servant. sector whose home in the Gemmayzeh area was badly damaged in the blast.
“But we need to take as many precautionary measures as possible, because in the last two weeks everyone has been sick, and corona has certainly increased,” he said.
Lebanon on Thursday recorded its highest 24-hour number of new infections, with 613 new cases. The infections were spread in the aftermath of the blast when hospitals were flooded with the victims, medicine said.
“Before the explosion, the total number of cases was 5,000-6,000, now we are approaching 10,000 and above,” Iman Shankiti, the representative of the World Health Organization in Lebanon, told Voice of Lebanon radio. “In the last two weeks, it’s been the same for everything from February to the day of the explosion.”
The closure, which includes a starting point from 6pm to 6pm, makes it possible to wipe out debris, make repairs and provide assistance in weeks demolished by the explosion. The airport will remain open, with travelers having to take a PCR test before boarding and on arrival.
A security source said compliance was good in the Beirut area, though less so in northern Lebanon. (Report by Issam Abdallah; Written by Tom Perry / Raya Jalabi; Edited by Angus MacSwan)
