Lebanon Restricts Access to Restaurants and Beaches to Vaccination Certificate Holders

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on Friday that Lebanon will limit access to restaurants, cafes, bars, and beaches to those holding COVID-19 vaccination certificates or who have undergone antibody tests. Additionally, workers in these establishments who have not been vaccinated will need to undergo a PCR test every 72 hours. This decision comes amid a surge in new infections in the country, which recorded 1,104 cases on Thursday, compared to a few hundred cases per day in previous months. Infection rates in Lebanon peaked when authorities imposed a full lockdown in January after hospitals struggled to cope with the rising number of patients amid a severe financial crisis, declining medication supplies, and frequent power outages. The country gradually reopened its economy during the spring. The vaccination campaign in Lebanon has been slow, with about 18% of the population fully vaccinated.