Reeling from port blast, Lebanese prepare for new virus lockdown

  • Date: 21-Aug-2020
  • Source: Arabian Business
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:Lebanon
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Reeling from port blast, Lebanese prepare for new virus lockdown

Still reeling from a deadly port blast that ravaged their Beirut homes and businesses, Lebanese wearily braced themselves for a new coronavirus lockdown due to start on Friday.

"What now? On top of this disaster, a coronavirus catastrophe?" said 55-year-old Roxane Moukarzel, as she waved towards the devastated port from the balcony of her gutted home.

Lebanon is to partially close down for two weeks from Friday to stem a string of record daily infection rates that have brought the number of COVID-19 cases to 10,952, including 113 deaths.

Moukarzel said she supported the decision, especially after the massive blast at Beirut's port on August 4 that killed 181 people, wounded thousands and laid waste to windows and doors across swathes of the city.

"Economically closing up the country is not good, as people