BEIRUT, Apr 9 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Nassif Hitti, said that, 22,000 Lebanese want to return to their homeland from overseas, amid COVID-19 outbreak worldwide, local media reported.
“We will soon send flights to Canada, the United States, and Ukraine, to repatriate stranded Lebanese people in these countries,” Hitti was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an independent local newspaper.
He added that, Lebanon will also repatriate Lebanese from Syria soon.
Hitti explained that Lebanon cannot re-open its airport for the time being because it cannot receive a big number of people during a short period of time.
“The arrival of a big number of returnees will expose them and Lebanese citizens to risks. Also, we do not have a great capacity to test a big number of people,” said Hitti, while adding that, it wouldn’t be safe to receive more than 450 people on one plane.
Lebanon’s number of COVID-19 infections increased on Wednesday by 27 cases to 575, while the death toll remained unchanged at 19 and 62 people recovered from the disease.– NNN-NNA
