Lebanese police on Saturday patrolled the streets of the capital Beirut, ordering shops to close as the country began a two-week lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus that has killed dozens of people over the past days in the small Mediterranean country.The number of cases increased sharply in recent weeks around Lebanon straining the country’s medical sector where intensive care units are almost full.The lockdown comes as Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, leading to criticism of the closure by business owners who cannot afford the loss of revenue.
Over the past year, the local currency shed 80 per cent of its value and tens of thousands lost their jobs in a population of some 5 million.