Firas Abiad, the Director of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, tweeted: "Since Lebanon registers thousands of new local COVID cases every day, it is understandable if most people overlook the dozens of new incoming cases daily through the airport. This is a mistake. During pandemics, border monitoring is a crucial component of national public health policy.
Dr. Abiad emphasized that countries that ease strict border control measures do so at their own risk." He added: "Quarantine for incoming travelers is fundamental to border control during pandemics. Countries enforce isolation in designated places or strictly supervise it if it's at home. Otherwise, many people will not adhere to voluntary self-isolation. This has been the case with the arrival of many infected passengers to Lebanon. Can a PCR test replace mandatory quarantine? Presenting a recent negative test before boarding the plane and undergoing another test upon arrival helps in identifying infected passengers. However, lab results may be delayed, incorrect, or even forged. This inadvertently leads to the entry of infectious carriers."
