by NAJIA HOUSSARI — Arabnews — BEIRUT: Lebanese people experienced terror on Thursday night when a severe storm ravaged mountain and coastal regions, uprooted trees, caused floods and destroyed cars, refugee tents and public statues. Several flights were diverted to Larnaca and Antalya airports after strong winds made landings at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport impossible. The frightening weather conditions came on top of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Social media users described their experience as they stayed at home in line with the government’s directives aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. “Lebanon is flying” was the second most trending hashtag after “Stay home”. Users switched from mocking the situation to sensing its gravity. “Here comes nature’s wrath after the unemployment, dollar, Eurobonds, banks and imported coronavirus crises. The night of strong easterly winds uprooted trees, damaged buildings and affected people. Disasters, disasters and the greatest disaster of all is the dark horizons. May God protect what is left of Lebanon,” tweeted former minister, Akram Chehayeb. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has exceeded 80, and includes an employee of the Ministry of Health. “The infected employee works in the Ministry’s central administration. The virus was transmitted to her by one of her relatives,” the Ministry of Health announced, noting that “we are taking all the necessary measures to isolate her, identify those who were in contact with her inside and outside of the Ministry and make sure they self-quarantine at home.”

By REBECCA COLLARD — Goods flew off the shelves at a supermarket Wednesday in Beirut as Lebanon announced new travel restrictions in response to the novel coronavirus. By Thursday, supermarket shelves were restocked, but the country faces a unique problem in the midst of the pandemic. Almost everything Lebanon consumes is imported — and COVID-19 has struck as Lebanon slides deeper into a dire financial crisis brought on by government corruption and mismanagement. Since October, protesters have been in the streets demanding a new government and an end to the country’s sectarian political system. The Lebanese lira has lost around 40% of its value against the US dollar in recent months. That means everything is going up in price, especially imported goods — which comprises most food, medicine and medical supplies.

At a supermarket in Beirut, Dr. Abraham Hadid, an orthopedic surgeon, pushed a shopping cart filled with canned tuna, corn, soda water and instant coffee. “I’m buying everything I need for a long time,” he said, wearing a face mask and plastic gloves. “I don’t want to come back here because of corona.” Hadid says Lebanon has good doctors and a relatively strong health system, but that system is strained by the economic crisis. That will hurt the country’s ability to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19. As of Friday there were 77 confirmed cases and three deaths in Lebanon, and the numbers are rising. “All the equipment we need, needles … serum, the prices of everything are increasing,” Hadid said. “We have two crises so close.”

by newsmax.com — President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency in order to free up more money and resources. But he denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available for the new virus, whose spread has roiled markets and disrupted the lives of everyday Americans. Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency,” unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. Trump also announced a range of executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow rollout of testing.

Late Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the Trump administration for an aid package from Congress that would provide free tests, sick pay for workers and bolster food programs. “We are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi announced in a letter to colleagues. The House was poised to vote. However, as of 8:30 p.m. ET the vote had not yet occurred. According to a Reuters news alert, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said there were unresolved issues between the administration and lawmakers on the response bill, though Pelosi had thought there was a deal at hand. A few minutes later, though, another alert from Reuters said Trump had indicated he was fully supportive of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, “which will be voted on in the House this evening.” No further details were available at the time of publication.

by Naharnet –– Central bank governor Riad Salameh instructed Lebanese banks on Friday to prioritize transfers for the purchase of medical supplies and equipment to combat coronavirus, the National News Agency reported on Friday. The disease has infected 77 individuals in Lebanon so far according to the health ministry. On Friday, an employee at the […]

by middle-east-online.com — TUNIS – Lebanon has defaulted on its international debts for the first time. Through civil war and social and political turmoil, Lebanon had always met its economic obligations. However, convulsed by a long-foreshadowed currency crisis and battered by the spread of coronavirus, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a televised address […]

by NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews — BEIRUT: Lebanon has reported its third death from the coronavirus. A 79-year-old man with cancer died on Wednesday while being treated in a hospital in Jbeil. He was sharing the room with a man, whose infection was not yet been confirmed. Doctors’ syndicate chief Sharaf Abu Sharaf said: “There are 15 nurses and two doctors being quarantined at home who have not showed any symptoms.” The streets have been almost empty as all entertainment and recreational facilities in the country have shut. The Lebanese Cabinet has doubled internet speed and capacity for Ogero users until the end of April, to encourage them to work and study at home. Mohammed, a taxi driver in Beirut, told Arab News: “People have stopped going to malls and Beirut souks are empty. They are even refusing to take a cab and are walking instead.” Salam, a saleswoman in Sodeco, said: “Buying clothes is no longer a priority as people are afraid of the coronavirus. We are making sure to disinfect and sterilize the shop everyday but it seems like we will be closing soon.”

By Tom Perry and Ellen Francis BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s plan to tackle a financial and economic crisis will meet IMF recommendations and will be ready in weeks, the finance minister said on Thursday, adding that any recourse to an IMF program must be politically agreed and its terms should not cause suffering. Speaking days after the heavily indebted state declared it could not meet coming debt payments, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni also told Reuters the official exchange rate of the Lebanese pound would be maintained for the “foreseeable future”, saying this helped control inflation among other factors. The plan being drawn up by Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government will form the cornerstone of efforts to pull Lebanon out of the worst financial crisis since independence in 1943. It will cover banking, financial and other economic reforms.

Lebanon has so far requested technical assistance from the IMF but not financial aid that would typically come as part of a program of reforms. A team of IMF experts visited Lebanon last month. IMF spokesman Gerry Rice, speaking before Wazni’s remarks, underscored the need for Lebanon to draft a comprehensive plan. “Given the severity of economic conditions in Lebanon, it’s important that the government designs and implements properly a comprehensive package of reforms to effectively address the economic challenges and improve Lebanon’s economic prospects,” he said. Wazni said the IMF was ready to send experts back to Lebanon once the plan was ready. The government’s plan would meet “the recommendations of the IMF” and include a plan that Beirut is drawing up with the World Bank. Wazni said Lebanon was in need of $25 billion to $30 billion of assistance over the next five years to get out of the crisis. “Lebanon welcomes all international financial assistance without exceptions. But when it comes to the IMF, this depends on several matters: that the understanding with the IMF – if Lebanon resorts to it – … does not negatively affect the political situation in Lebanon,” Wazni said.

by thenational.ae —Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Wednesday announced that Lebanon would be halting flights to and from several countries to try to curb the spread of coronavirus, moments before the World Health Organisation officially declared it a pandemic. “All air, sea and land travel will be stopped to and from the following countries: Italy, South Korea, Iran, and China,” Mr Diab said, without specifying when flights would be suspended. Lebanon will also suspend flights “from countries that have witnessed an important spread of the virus: France, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Germany, Spain and Britain, by air, land or sea,” he said.

By Timour Azhari Al jazeera– Beirut – Lebanon will ban all travel to and from 11 countries that have witnessed significant outbreaks of the coronavirus, including an immediate ban on Italy, Iran, China and South Korea. Authorities will give a four-day grace period to Lebanese citizens, and their families who are seeking to return to Lebanon from France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Egypt and Syria before also banning all travel to and from those countries, Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Wednesday.

The ban includes travel by land, sea and air. Diab’s announcement at a news conference came as Lebanon registered its second death from the coronavirus on Sunday, – a man in his 50s who reportedly had pre-existing conditions – while the total number of infections rose to 61. Conversely, Lebanon’s first registered coronavirus patient, a woman who returned from Iran in late February, was announced to be entirely free of the virus. The global pandemic has seen more than 122,000 people infected, with deaths nearing 4,500. Many countries in the Middle East have taken similar steps of banning travel, including Saudi Arabia, which has banned flights to and from Lebanon. While Diab stopped short of announcing a state of emergency, he asked local authorities to prevent all large gatherings of people. Bars, nightclubs and exhibition centres were already ordered to close over the weekend until March 15, while schools and universities have been shuttered since the beginning of March. Diab also called on businesses and public institutions to work with the minimum required number of employees needed to maintain productivity.

By Madawi al-Rasheed– All is not well in the House of Saud. On 7 March, Mohammed bin Salman, the young crown prince and future king of Saudi Arabia, boldly dispatched his masked security personnel to bring two of Saudi’s most senior princes, Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz and Muhammad bin Nayef, to the palace after a hunting trip in the desert. It’s still unclear whether they have been detained for short-term interrogations or to be imprisoned. What’s certain is that Prince Mohammed’s decision was a preemptive strike to intimidate those who have dared question his leadership style from inside the royal household. Although Mohammed is the crown prince, he plays the role of king. He remains in control of all economic, political, social and foreign relations, and eclipses his father, King Salman, as unofficial ruler of Saudi Arabia. The arrests were ordered after the royal court was passed details of an alleged plot to undermine Prince Mohammed’s ascendance to the throne. Among the two princes he arrested, Ahmed is the most eligible to become king – he is the only remaining brother of the incumbent King Salman and would have been first in line had his brother not promoted his own heir, much to Ahmed’s chagrin.

by aawsat.com — Lebanon’s public prosecutor has agreed with commercial banks a set of rules aimed at protecting the rights of depositors, state news agency NNA reported on Tuesday, potentially easing restrictions on deposits amid a dollar shortage. Lebanese banks, fearing capital flight and grappling with an acute hard currency crunch, have imposed tight controls on withdrawals and transfers abroad, drawing outrage from depositors unable to access their savings. The agreement, which appears to be an attempt in part to standardize rules across the sector, states banks must transfer foreign currency abroad for payment of school fees, medical costs, taxes and “all that is necessary,” as well as for imports of medical supplies, foodstuffs not produced in Lebanon, and goods deemed critical by the central bank, NNA reported. These include lenders allowing depositors to withdraw up to 25 million Lebanese pounds a month (around $16,500 under the official exchange rate). Other measures include allowing transfers abroad in hard currency for education fees, medical bills, tax purposes, “and everything else necessary,” NNA said. Banks would not be allowed to withhold any part of money freshly transferred into a Lebanese account.