More businesses are now exempt from a nationwide lockdown in Lebanon as the country enters the second phase of its gradual reopening strategy.
For two weeks from February 22, many businesses will be allowed to reopen.
They include laundrettes, travel agencies, car rental companies and repair shops; flower shops, and those that sell agricultural and pet supplies. Construction sites and outdoor sports facilities can also resume work.
Employees need a permit and personal identification documents to be able to commute to and from work.
Lebanon entered a three-week lockdown on January 7, after a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths after Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Parties held with no regard to safety measures were blamed for the escalation in cases, which had huge repercussions for an already overwhelmed healthcare system.
Citizens shared fears of a similar outbreak after Valentine’s Day, but the lockdown remained in place with an exception made only for florists.
King Takkouch Flowers, a family-owned business in Beirut, was one of many that were forced to shut down.
“Of course we were hurt by the lockdown,” said shop owner Hassan Takkouch. “Who wasn’t?”
“If we don’t sell our flower arrangements on the same day or the day after, they wilt away and we’re forced to throw them.”
Owing to the current cold snap, Mr Takkouch must import flowers from abroad, and Lebanon’s soaring currency exchange rate has made this more expensive than perviously.
When kept in store and out of the sun for too long, the flowers die, causing the shop to make a loss.
While Lebanon’s lockdown was imperative to ease the burden on health care, it was detrimental to many families who rely on a daily wage to survive and were left with no financial assistance.
This was the main trigger for protests in Tripoli, Lebanon’s poorest and second-largest city.
Hungry citizens took to the streets in January and asked for relief. They said their livelihoods were crushed under the weight of the economic crisis and the pandemic at once.
On Sunday, images of crowds at Lebanon’s snow-topped mountains made the rounds on social media. They invoked anger from many, for travelling on Sundays is allowed only in emergencies and citizens are expected to stick to the 24-hour curfew.
A young Lebanese man who recently lost his father to Covid-19 expressed his frustration with careless fellow citizens.
“My dad was unemployed for three years. He got a small job that would earn him 75,000 Lebanese pounds [about $8] and he went. He caught Covid from them and passed away.”
“I’ve been at home for a month and a half out of respect to the lockdown. Then I see people on the snow and I feel sad that my dad passed for wanting to feed his family, while others are careless and just want to enjoy themselves.”
Rayan Khatoun, HR manager at MMG Holdings, a facilities management company, echoed the young man’s concerns.
Today was her first day back at work since the lockdown. Her employer is operating at a reduced capacity of employees and conducting obligatory swab tests.
"Personally, I feel safe going back to work because we have strict measures in place and we are following the law," Ms Khatoun told The National. "But I'm not so sure about easing measures because I see a lot of people breaking the lockdown rules.
“I hope it doesn’t push us into another crisis and another lockdown.”
Lebanon’s gradual reopening is happening in parallel with the national vaccination drive, which kicked off on Sunday, February 14.
More than 16,500 vaccines have been delivered to date.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The five pillars of Islam
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
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The five pillars of Islam
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
