Beirut’s annual International Women’s Day March was postponed Sunday, following the Lebanese government’s request that all leisure venues close amid rising coronavirus infections in the country.
“Due to the inability of the Lebanese state and its lack of preparedness to deal with the coronavirus and the official statement that it has ended its containment phase ... organized groups consulted and took a collective decision to postpone the march,” a statement on the event’s Facebook page said Saturday.
The statement added that the decision took into account the concerns and interests of people, especially since many would be taking shared transport to reach assembly points.
The march was set to take place on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Lebanon ranked 138 out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2015 gender gap and labor participation assessment.
Last year, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Beirut to call for women’s rights and improved living conditions in Lebanon.
As of Saturday there have been 28 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Lebanon.
Health Minister Hamad Hasan said earlier Friday that "the phase of containing the coronavirus outbreak in Lebanon is over.” He called on the public to take personal responsibility to follow directives issued by the ministry and limit the spread of the disease.
Venue closures include nightclubs, museums, cinemas, theaters, sport clubs, conferences and exhibitions. The ministerial committee for combating the coronavirus also extended the closure of schools, universities and nurseries until March 14.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
