Lebanon recorded its highest number of daily infections with the Covid-19 disease on Wednesday, July 29, with 182 new cases identified just before a provisional containment of the country from Thursday. Since the start of the epidemic in February, a total of 4,202 cases of contamination, including 55 deaths, have been officially recorded in the country, which has about six million inhabitants.
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And since July 12, nearly 2,000 contaminations have been identified, according to figures from the Ministry of Health. The previous daily record was 168 cases on July 26. After a confinement of more than three months, Lebanon had lifted the restrictions in early July, notably reopening its airport, but the new cases then started to rise again.
This upsurge in cases has prompted the government to order a new containment of the country for five days between next Thursday and Monday, a period that coincides with the holidays of Eid al-Adha, the great Muslim festival of sacrifice traditionally marked by meetings. family. Containment will then be partially lifted on August 4 and 5; nightclubs, bars, and public parks will remain closed, but restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen at 50% of their capacity.
A new total containment of five days will follow, after which the authorities will reassess the need to put in place stricter measures. The health crisis worsened the serious economic crisis in the country, marked by a collapse of the national currency and the impoverishment of the population.