Lebanon is classified as “high risk”! – MTV Lebanon

Inas Sherry wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat:

The decision to completely close a number of towns and villages this morning will take effect, amid the objection of some municipalities, which considered the decision unfair to them.

The decision of the week-long closure came after Lebanon entered the “final stage of the spread of the epidemic,” as described by Petra Khoury, the prime minister’s medical advisor in the caretaker government, Hassan Diab. Khoury, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, indicated that Lebanon is classified as “high risk”, as the occupancy rate in hospitals exceeded 90 percent, especially in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, as well as the percentage of positive examinations from the number of general examinations between 9 and 10 per cent. In the last period, it was mentioned that Lebanon had recorded 250 injuries per 100,000 in the last 14 days, and this is a negative indicator.

Khoury pointed out that there is another negative indicator on the issue of Corona, which is that “the number of deaths due to the virus has doubled at a faster rate than the global pace.” Regarding this situation, the Ministry of Interior, based on the recommendations of the Corona governmental committee, decided to close 111 towns, most of which were concentrated in Mount Lebanon and the North, instead of closing the country completely.

While some municipalities considered that the Ministry of Interior’s decision to close the country was unjustified, hoping to reconsider it, Khoury clarified that the choice of towns and villages “was based on a global standard adopted in countries that do not want to completely close the country,” and that it was based on The results of a survey of the number of injuries and their transfer on the basis of every 100,000 people. After that, the areas that were classified with (high risk level), which recorded 8 cases of infection per day, were closed for at least 14 days. ”

Khoury indicated that another assessment of the status of these municipalities and villages will take place after the closing week, to be classified again, pointing out that the closure will help the Ministry of Health in tracking and limiting the spread of the virus.