(17 Mar 2020) LEAD IN: The coronavirus lockdown may deliver the knockout blow to businesses in crisis-hit Lebanon. The tiny Mediterranean country had already been engulfed in a financial and economic crisis that has worsened since October. STORY-LINE: The Beirut waterfront that is usually congested with pedestrians and sea viewers, is deserted. Beirut municipality police are patrolling the seafront corniche to prevent people from walking on it. The Lebanese government declared a state of "public health emergency" to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. But as shops shut down and people remain at home, the burden on the crisis-hit economy is getting heavier. In Hamra street, one of the main shopping streets in Beirut, restaurants, shops and universities were closed as per police orders. "We were affected previously by the revolution or the popular movement then this (new coronavirus) came as a knockout punch", said Nael Al-Aawar, the owner of "Chick in" restaurant. In Achrafieh neighborhood, the same procedures are in place, shops are closed, and squares are almost empty. While preparing a cake for a client, sweet shop owner Jean Kousa said people are just too afraid to leave their homes. "They are afraid of getting infected, from picking up diseases, from picking up microbes and the viruses in the air ," he said.   Kousa added that people are not being told anything reassuring and don't feel like they will get support from the government if they fall ill. "There is no state, the government is sleeping and does not care about us and does not look after us, we cannot get admitted to a hospital, there is no money," he said. With the new coronavirus declared a pandemic, Lebanon has scrambled to limit the spread of the virus. The virus has caused at least three deaths and infected around 120 people in the tiny Mediterranean country. The Beirut International airport is due to be shut down on Wednesday at midnight and the land crossing with Syria has been closed.   The consequences are  "devastating" for the Lebanese economy both on the long and short run, says Kamel Wazne, a university professor and economist. "It is going to be a lot of pain among many sectors of the economy including the government," says Wazne. "The government will not be able to collect taxes and the deficit will be much higher than anticipated," he adds.   Lebanese banks which were closed on Monday and Tuesday will open a few branches on Wednesday. The closure of the banks has further exacerbated the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon and increased distrust toward the banking sector. Lebanon has been engulfed in a financial and economic crisis that has worsened since October, when the country was rocked by nationwide protests over widespread corruption and decades of mismanagement by the ruling political class. Street demonstrations have been minimal since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Most people infected by the new coronavirus experience only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and recover within weeks. But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by people with no visible symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d158c6199f414742a1b39b581cfdb9ba

• published: 22 Mar 2020
• views: 1461