This weekly update aims to inform our readers of the legal and regulatory measures adopted by the Lebanese authorities to mitigate the impact of the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Lebanon.

Here is the list of measures taken between April 13 and April 20, 2020:

1. Ministry of Interior. – Memorandum n˚45/A.M./2020: On April 18, 2020, the Ministry of the Interior issued a Memorandum that prohibits all circulation between the hours of 8 pm. and 5 am. The Memorandum also amended the opening hours of supermakets, grocery stores, dairy stores, fruit & vegetable stores, butcheries, fishmongers, poultry stores, pastry shops, bakeries, water suppliers, restaurants and food stores. The Memorandum allows the aforementioned businesses to operate between the hours of 5 am. and 8 pm.

2. Ministry of Labor.- Circulars published on April 18, 2020: The Ministry of Labor published a set of health and safety guidelines for supermarket employees, bakeries, sterilization companies, cleaning companies and industrial facilities.

3. Ministry of Industry.- Circular of April 18, 2020: The Ministry of Industry asked local industrialists to provide the Ministry with information on their stocks and production needs by filling out the forms published on the website of the Ministry.

4. Central Bank of Lebanon. – Circular n˚551: On April 16, 2020, the Central Bank of Lebanon issued a circular instructing non-banking e-money transfer companies to pay out all international money transfers in LBP at the market exchange rate and to sell all foreign currency resulting from such operations to the newly-established special unit of the Directorate of Currency Operations at BDL.

5. Ministry of Interior.- Instructions of April 15, 2020: The Ministry of Interior issued instructions for the use of the new Inter-Municipal Platform for Assessment Coordination and Tracking (IMPACT) designed to reinforce the coordination between municipalities and the Ministries of Interior, of Health and of Social Affairs on matter related to the outbreak of Covi-19.

6. Central Bank of Lebanon. – Circular n˚549: On April 15, 2020, the Central Bank of Lebanon issued a circular clarifying the conditions for withdrawals made by small depositors at a "Market Exchange Rate" set out in decision n˚13215.

7. Ministry of Justice. – Circular of April 14, 2020: The Ministry of Justice extended the suspension of all Court hearings and the restriction of the activiy of Court regsitries to April 26, 2020. The Circular excludes release hearings before criminal Courts and urgent matters from the scope of the suspension.

For any additional information about the legal issues raised by Covid-19, please do not hesitate to contact our Firm.