Lebanon's Higher Defense Council Wednesday extended general mobilization regulations until the end of the year, following an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases over the last month.
The move marks the ninth extension, giving authorities the legal powers necessary to implement strict measures designed to contain the virus.
"We are going through a delicate phase in the confrontation with corona. The number of infections is rising in a way that suggests that if the rise continues, we will lose control of the epidemic," caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said at the start of the Higher Defense Council meeting.
Lebanon registered a record number of 12 deaths due to coronavirus complications Tuesday and 532 new cases, bringing the total number of cases so far to 13,687.
