Al-Rahi Urges Citizens Not to Leave Homes unless Necessary

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday called on the Lebanese not to leave their homes unless it is extremely necessary as a precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“Brother and sisters, you came here despite the fears over leaving homes and mixing with people, but your faith and our faith remain stronger than fear,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon.

But he stressed that it is crucial to observe caution through “avoiding leaving homes unless it is extremely necessary.”

The patriarch also warned against gatherings, saying people should not sit close to each other and calling on believers to “benefit from religious media outlets which help us to pray in our homes.”

Lebanon has so far confirmed 99 coronavirus cases including three deaths, according to a Health Ministry statement issued at noon Sunday.

The government is expected to declare a state of emergency on Sunday afternoon.

Educational institutions, restaurants, nightclubs, pubs, cafes, exhibitions, parks, cinemas, malls and other gathering venues have been closed since several days as part of the measures against the virus.

Lebanon has also banned flights from eleven hardly hit countries, with critics lamenting that the decision came too late.