[Asia Economy Reporter Woo Su-yeon] As the global resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues for an extended period, major countries such as Lebanon, Portugal, and Denmark, which are experiencing rapid spread, have implemented nationwide lockdown measures.
According to foreign media on the 14th (local time), the Lebanese government began an 11-day nationwide lockdown to respond to the surge in COVID-19 cases. Residents of Lebanon will not be allowed to leave their homes unless it is an emergency situation such as visiting a bakery, pharmacy, or hospital.
This measure was taken amid a crisis in Lebanon where the rapid increase in COVID-19 infections has led to a shortage of treatment beds in some hospitals. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the number of new confirmed cases in Lebanon was around 4,000 over three days starting from the 11th. In Lebanon, with a population of about 6 million, the cumulative number of confirmed cases reached a staggering 231,936 as of the 13th.
On the 13th (local time), a day before the lockdown measures due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), residents crowded into a supermarket in Lebanon to buy daily necessities. Photo by Yonhap News
Portugal, which is approaching its presidential election, will also enter lockdown again starting from the 15th (local time).
All stores providing non-essential goods and services must close, and companies are recommended to implement remote work. Essential stores such as supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and banks are allowed to operate, and unlike previous lockdowns, students are permitted to attend school.
However, the Portuguese government will exceptionally lift lockdown measures on the early voting days and the election day of the presidential election. On this day, Portugal recorded 10,566 new daily confirmed cases and a cumulative total of 507,108 confirmed cases.
Denmark, a European country where concerns about COVID-19 variant viruses are growing, also extended the existing lockdown measures by at least three weeks on this day. Last month, as COVID-19 cases surged in Denmark, public gatherings were limited to five people, and measures such as closing restaurants, bars, and schools were implemented.
As of this day, Denmark's cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 185,159, with a total of 1,660 deaths. Additionally, 208 cases of the variant virus first discovered in the United Kingdom have been confirmed in Denmark so far.
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