The Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the caretaker government, Mohammad Fahmy, revealed that he will recommend to the Higher Defense Council to extend the lockdown period, as the proposed duration in the first round is insufficient due to the high numbers of infections and deaths. He pointed out that the new duration for the lockdown will be determined in consultation with the scientific committee's recommendations.
In his interview with "Nidaa el-Watan," Fahmy confirmed that "there is a significant commitment from the Lebanese people regarding the lockdown measures, and the security forces have not faltered in executing the orders entrusted to them in enforcing the law." He emphasized that there are strict directives for the security forces not to be lenient, whether in the early or late days of the lockdown period, and to pursue violators and issue citations against non-compliant individuals. Fahmy noted that the current situation in Lebanon is very bad, with limited violations of the lockdown period, explaining that security forces have issued more than 19,000 citations during this round, many of which were against violating institutions, especially since the security forces are keen on strictly enforcing the lockdown decisions.
He clarified that the response of the Lebanese people and the sense of fear that has gripped them have contributed to the success of this phase, recalling the first lockdown experience in March that showed a significant degree of responsibility among people regarding the closing measures. He ruled out the possibility of a relapse into disregard as seen in previous rounds, due to the prevailing panic and the painful scenes in hospitals and emergency departments.
It is noteworthy that Lebanon has recorded record rates of infection with the coronavirus, forcing the caretaker government to implement lockdown measures that began last Thursday and will continue until the 25th of this month.
