National Bloc: Lockdown decision is arbitrary and useless; here is the solution

The lockdown was not imposed by the Council of Ministers, but by an inefficient and incompetent governmental “Board of Directors.” 

The total lockdown, despite the exceptions, will undermine what is left of the Lebanese economy, and will deal a fatal blow to the private sector, considered as the remaining lifeblood of an active economy and employment. 

The pretext that private hospitals are refusing to admit COVID-19 patients is not valid, and they can actually accommodate much more patients than those being treated in public hospitals. The real reason behind their refusal is the fact that the state is not paying their arrears, rendering them incapable of admitting more patients. Between the refusal by hospitals and the payment of their outstanding dues in full, there is a compromise, which is to cover only the coronavirus patients during this critical stage. 

On the other hand, the total lockdown will not be effective unless the citizens abide by the rules of social distancing and prevention. This did not happen until now because there is not a Council of Ministers in Lebanon, but by an inefficient and incompetent “Board of Directors” distracted by the interests of those who appointed it, and sharing quotas for their benefit. The solution is a partial and logical lockdown that will not paralyze entire sectors, along with a strict enforcement of social distancing and prevention rules by relevant authorities. Let them issue clear-cut orders and let the security services firmly implement them.