by arabnews.com — NAJIA HOUSSARI —BEIRUT: Lebanon on Saturday reported 10 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), pushing the total number …

by aawsat.com -- Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab pledged on Thursday to protect small bank deposits, however, he fell short of revealing when depositors would be allowed to access their money. “Ask the Governor of the Central Bank (Riad Salameh),” Diab replied when asked by a journalist when they would be able to withdraw their money from local banks. Following a cabinet session at the Baabda palace on Thursday, the PM said the US dollar exchange rate crisis remains a major problem that needs to be resolved, pledging to protect 90 percent of the country's depositors, most of whom have relatively small accounts. Since last October, the exchange rate of the dollar against the Lebanese pound in the parallel market registered an unprecedented rise, lately exceeding LBP 2,800. The devaluation of the pound is mainly due to the decline in the dollar’s supply in the market, as a result of bank restrictions that prevent depositors from withdrawing their money.

by UN RC/HC Lebanon -- Thursday, 9 April 2020 (United Nations) – In recent weeks, Lebanon had to adapt to new restrictions imposed by the government, in an effort to curtail the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon. United Nations (UN) agencies in Lebanon are fully engaged in assisting Lebanon in responding to the unfolding health crisis. Joining hands with local partners, including governmental entities and civil society, the UN is working on preventing and containing the transmission of the virus and avoiding an overstretching of the health system, as well as responding to rising socio-economic challenges generated by the economic and financial crisis now exacerbated by the health emergency. “Lebanon is going through an unprecedented emergency, requiring all of us to ramp up our actions to contain and stop the transmission of the virus”, said Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Claudio Cordone. “The UN family in Lebanon has geared its efforts to support the government and is working with partners to respond to this pandemic. Today, more than ever, coordinated and decisive action is key to attenuate the impact of this crisis on all those throughout Lebanon who are hit the hardest, namely the poorest and the most vulnerable,” Cordone added.

by Sunniva Rose -- thenational.ae -- Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that 11 passengers who flew back to Lebanon from Spain and France the previous day tested positive for Covid19. These are the first cases of coronavirus among the hundreds of Lebanese who started flying home on Sunday from Africa and Europe on a special repatriation programme at their own expense. “Seven out of 108 passengers were infected with Covid-19 on board of a plane that transported expatriates and arrived yesterday from Madrid. Four passengers out of 118 aboard an aircraft arriving from Paris were also confirmed to be infected,” stated the Health Ministry in a press release. Infected passengers will be taken to hospital while others must self-quarantine for two weeks, the statement said. The Health Ministry will check that those who are not infected respect confinement orders. Lebanese expatriates started flying in from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Ivory Coast and Nigeria on Sunday. Passengers all tested negative until Wednesday, according to local authorities.