Type of Intervention: Advisory, Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Civil Defence
Intervention Categories: Social and physical distancing measures; Domestic travel; Planning and strategy; Creation of or release of plans
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, announced the recommendations issued by the scientific committee, after chairing the committee meeting, in presence of members from WHO, preventive medicine department, Infectious diseases specialists and directors of different departments at the ministry of public health. He said: “The issue is a matter of life and death, so the muzzle must be adhered to anywhere from workplaces to supermarkets, shops and places of activities of associations and humanitarian and international bodies that provide subsidies after the port explosion. What is required in any place is social distancing, preventive behavior and personal cleanliness. We have reached the brink of an abyss and we no longer have the luxury of time and mood to adhere to procedures. Therefore, cooperation, responsibility and commitment are required, otherwise we will be in disaster. “
Overview: Calling for a general lockdown for two weeks.
Minister Hassan listed the following recommendations:
The closure is for a period of two weeks, with the exception of Beirut, which is subject to the state of emergency, because the closure will allow the Ministry of Public Health to track contacts and the injured and work to limit the epidemic outbreak to an extent that allows the health system in its public and private sectors to absorb the number of injuries.
The risk is represented by local community outbreaks, while the infection rate among expatriates is around two per thousand. But this does not preclude the necessity for arrivals to quarantine for a week in the place of residence and in hotels until the PCR result is issued, because the transmission of infection from an expatriate to his family contributes significantly to the local outbreak.
Recommending special measures for the location of the port explosion and the activities of various associations to accompany the affected families in coordination with the relevant security and military forces to ensure the success of the call for the closure for a period of two weeks.
Call for activating the role of accredited quarantine centers in the regions, while adopting additional centers so that an additional quarantine center will be approved in each governorate.
Branching some government hospitals and allocating them to Corona patients.
Activating cooperation with private hospitals in light of the agreement with the World Bank to pay the dues of these hospitals that treat Corona patients at the expense of the Ministry of Health at the end of each month from the World Bank loan.
Transferring some field hospitals, especially from the Qatari donation, to treat people with Corona, and approving two other field hospitals in both the north and south.
Full details here: https://www.moph.gov.lb/en/Media/view/37773/minister-hasan-calls-for-a-two-week-general-lockdown
Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group, Perception of an increased threat
Evidence/Justification: especially since there is an outbreak of the epidemic in all regions without exception, and when a specific number of injuries is announced, this means that There are other infections that are multiplied by ten times that have not been diagnosed. “