Lebanon lengthens night-time curfew and other news from the Middle East

2020-11-02 20:44:26

Lebanon has lengthened a nationwide night-time curfew in place since September by four hours and extended lockdowns in 115 towns and villages, amid a continuing surge in new coronavirus infections. From Monday, people will be required to stay at home and businesses forced to close between 21:00 and 05:00. In areas under lockdown, bars and nightclubs are not allowed to open at all, restaurants and cafes can operate at 50% capacity, and public gatherings are banned. Lebanon has reported 82,617 cases of Covid-19 and 643 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The number of infections skyrocketed after the devastating explosion in Beirut on 4 August. Meanwhile, authorities in Iran reported that a record 440 people with Covid-19 had died in the past 24 hours, raising its overall death toll to 35,738. On Monday, the government imposed a four-day ban on travel into and out of 25 provincial capitals. State media said it was also considering a two-week lockdown in Tehran.