BEIRUT: Employees at Rafik Hariri University Hospital announced Sunday that they would not admit any new patients to the emergency department of the hospital starting Monday morning, an escalation in a strike that began last week.

“[We announce] the complete closure of the emergency entrance starting Monday at 9:30 a.m.,” the union said in a statement released Sunday.

The strikers said their decision will be followed by “daily escalations” until their demands are met.