In Egypt even senior officers fell victim to plague • In Syria Assad denies reports of widespread infection • And in Lebanon the health system was even abandoned

• Damascus yesterday. Assad denies opposition reports \\ Photo: IP

The secret corona

Already at the beginning of the month, media outlets affiliated with the rebels in Syria began to report infections in Corona, even as the virus began to spread in Iran and Iraq. The rebels have accused Iranians that Quds Force troops of the Revolutionary Guards and Afghan and Pakistani Shiite militias who arrived in the country from the Iranian territories have brought the virus into Syria's territory. For example, last week the Syrian opposition reported 212 diagnosed patients in Albochmal, a city in Deir Azur province with a significant Iranian presence. However, the lack of ability to test and prove the existence of the virus has left its presence in the country a rumor or hypothesis.

Despite repeated denials by the Damascus regime that "the Corona has not reached our territory", steps taken by Assad's people - such as postponing parliamentary elections, disinfecting the strongholds in Damascus and its fashionable neighborhoods, and surprising release of prisoners from the regime's prisons - testified, All the more so, about the appearance of the virus in the country.

Officially, the Assad regime acknowledged the contagion of Corona in its territory just last Sunday. This, after already stopped all international flights to the country and closed the border with Lebanon. Syrian Minister of Health Nizar al-Zizhi announced that the first diagnosed patient in the country was a foreign citizen. However, he did not specify where she came from, raising the suspicion that it was a passenger from Iran. Just Wednesday, the Assad regime admitted four more diagnoses.

It is unclear how the Syrian regime can work to eradicate the Corona in a country whose medical services have collapsed during eight years of severe civil war, which is still raging in the north. The Syrian government suffers from a shortage of every possible aspect of epidemic treatment on a large scale - ie test kits, doctors, hospitals, medical equipment and even access to electricity and running water. Now there is growing concern in neighboring Turkey and Jordan that the virus will find its way into refugee camps, which continue to flow out of the bleeding country.

Net bar

Managing a crisis without finances

The whole world is shocked, and rightly so, by the collapse of Italy, Spain and large countries against the Corona virus. Still, the question remains: what happens to a country that enters the local Corona crisis after it has already collapsed? This is Lebanon.

Since December, Hezbollah's associate Prime Minister Hasan Diab has been trying to promote the country of the Cedars. In practice, even without any connection to Corona, Lebanon is just going backwards. Only two and a half weeks ago, the government, led by Diab, decided not to repay $ 1.2 billion in debt. And now, with more than 410 Lebanese diagnosed in Corona and eight dead - it is unclear where this country will deteriorate again.

From the Red Cross data you can get a representative example of Beirut's incompetence. On the one hand, in Israel there are more than eight diagnosed patients than Lebanon. On the other hand, the number of dead in Lebanon is almost equal to that in the country. The explanation is very simple - Lebanese do not have the finances to conduct large-scale tests. And if you look at international aid, then the dependence on the stability of the Hizbollah's Diab government goes far beyond the Western world, and as a tradition - those who enter the vacuum are Iran. However, the Ayatollah regime itself does not stop counting the dead and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In the meantime, if Israel is talking about ordering equipment to meet the needs of the Corona patients and their large numbers, Lebanon's economic crisis has caused a lack of masks, gloves, protective equipment for teams and mechanical equipment since September.

In other words, the day the Ayatollah regime can deal with the Corona may be too late for them, and they may find themselves with Lebanon completely disintegrated when Hezbollah has no influence over the government - whether due to more renewed protests, or because of an unprecedented number of dead.

Dean Samuel Elms

Senior officers fall

The spread of the Corona in Egypt, with more than 530 patients and 30 dead from the Corona, forced the government to declare a partial closure for two weeks. The administration decided that between 7pm and 6am, and on Friday and Saturday, transportation would be resident and the shops would close. Cairo also decided to extend the suspension of the education system, as well as to extend the suspension of international flights for two weeks.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Assei promised that the closure would help curb the spread of the virus. Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madabuli has warned that anyone who improves the closure may face a prison sentence or a fine of up to 4,000 Egyptian pounds. At the same time, the government announced the allocation of one billion Egyptian pounds to the Ministry of Health to provide medical equipment to deal with the virus.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health announced that the cost of testing would be one thousand Egyptian pounds, while a test whose results would be received within a day - about 2,500 pounds. However, the Ministry of Health claimed that hospitalized referrals would be cost-free.

In other words, not enough tests are being conducted, and those who may be hospitalized and may have been in Corona will only be sent for a subsequent examination and may endanger those around them. In addition, according to a report by Al-Ahram, only 13 new laboratories were opened last week, but it is doubtful that these will cope with the gap in the population of more than 100 million. According to the Guardian, Canadian epidemiologists estimate that the number of infections in Egypt is much higher than the official figures and exceeds 19,000 people. Incidentally, Egypt condemned the report and described it as incorrect information.

Meanwhile, Egyptian television reported this week that a second army officer had died of the Corona virus. The senior officer was the head of the engineering department, and his death came after the passing of another senior commander in the water management system.

Dawn Kleiman

Concern in the royal house

Next year, Jordan is expected to celebrate 100 years of the Hashemite dynasty. Throughout his 99 years, the palace in Amman had many crises: King Abdullah was first assassinated in 1951 by a Palestinian assassin. In his place was his son Talal, who was ousted within one year after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. The person who inherited the role is Talal's son, Hussein, who managed 46 years and a half - until he died of cancer. His son, Abdullah II, managed to survive the "Arab Spring", but now he seems to be facing a crisis of a magnitude that he did not know in his 21 years in office.

According to the official quorum, more than 230 Jordanians have contracted the virus and one person is dead, but this should be taken in limited coverage because, according to estimates, about 30 percent of Jordanians are non-nationals and difficult to keep track of their medical condition. Eight days ago, an alarm was issued in Jordan announcing a general closure. The realization that the virus could quickly get out of control has led to a drastic move by King Abdullah, Prime Minister Omar Razaz and Health Minister Saad Jaber. Since then, a more significant closure has been imposed on Irbid, the second largest city, which appears to be the epicenter of the virus.

Like Israel, Amman managed to exploit tourism assets to isolate citizens. Dead Sea hotels and other statewide hotels were recruited for the mission. Those who are not in solitary confinement are forced - by government order - to purchase breads and pies from dedicated buses that sell them.

At the same time, the administration in Amman has punished up to a year in prison for deterring people from violating the quarantine. Still, the concern at the Amman Palace is great, and will testify to the recorded message King Abdullah sent to his people. "Stay in the houses and listen to the instructions," exclaimed Abdullah, adding: "Our country, like the rest of the world, is in a difficult situation that requires special activity and cooperation." The king concluded by saying, "I ask you not to turn around and follow the official instructions. Let's be responsible so that we keep our beloved state."

Dean Samuel Elms