Starting this Friday, Lebanon will allow prayers, and Sunday masses will again be held in mosques and churches as the country begins to ease the lockdown measures.
The number of worshipers should not exceed 30% of the capacity of each mosque or church, Lebanese Minister of Interior Mohammed Fahmi said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency NNA. They must also adhere to public safety procedures.
Lebanon has adopted a five-phase plan to gradually reopen the country and to ease the “general mobilization” measures that were imposed on March 15 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Restaurants were allowed to re-open with a 30% customer capacity on Monday, working hours for some commercial and industrial enterprises in the country were extended, and a public transport was allowed to operate with limited number of passengers and under specific conditions as of April 27.
Why this matters: Lebanon had received some credit for largely succeeding in preventing a major outbreak of the virus so far. But it is also being criticized for mishandling its aid program for the country’s poor. Aid distribution has been repeatedly delayed due to political wrangling.
