Interior Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Fahmy affirmed the necessity of the decision issued by the Higher Defense Council to extend the full lockdown in the country to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement to the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Joumhouria," Fahmy explained that the compliance rate with the total lockdown remains very high, reaching 95% in some areas. He considered that this is a positive development primarily due to people's fear after the outbreak and the hospitals being overwhelmed, rather than a voluntary conviction of the importance of the lockdown. He noted that if there had been broad voluntary compliance with previous lockdown decisions, the situation would not have escalated to this point.
Fahmy expressed regret that some individuals are still attempting to outsmart the exit permit system, revealing that around 18 people had been arrested for trying to circumvent it. He pointed out that the application was implemented quickly by the government, while other more developed countries took longer to accomplish it. He mentioned that modifications were made yesterday to the exit permit application to tighten it against attempts to exploit it. Fahmy remarked that those trying to outsmart the exit permit system are only fooling themselves and not the state, as they and their close contacts will be the ones affected by the transmission of the virus. He reiterated the security forces' understanding of some citizens' need for movement for essential reasons, stating that they handle legitimate requests flexibly.
Lebanese authorities extended the general lockdown on Thursday, January 20, for an additional two weeks amid an unprecedented surge in cases and deaths since the beginning of the year, as the country faces its worst economic crisis.
