On February 21, 2020, a plane arriving from Iran has landed to Lebanon and it appeared, according to the health team that has controlled the passengers, that a female is contaminated with the Covid-19 (Corona virus) and that two others are suspected to have contracted the virus. The confirmed case has been taken to the hospital, into quarantine, while the two others were advised to go home and stay confined for 14 days (incubation period). While questioned by the local press, these have affirmed that they weren't taken seriously in charge and that they went home being only in contact with family as they said !

About 147 people were on this plane. They were advised by the Lebanese Ministry of Health under the rule of Minister Hassan Hamad to go home and stay confined for 14 days. Are these serious measures knowing that the virus is highly contagious and that a relevant anti-virus does not exist yet ? What about the previous flights coming from Iran ? Can we consider that the Lebanese people are in safe hands ?

Moreover, in the context of a Covid-19 nest recently discovered in the Iranian city of Korm, the Iranian authorities have warned the Lebanese authorities that the plane that has landed yesterday in Lebanon might be infected ! And nothing was done to prevent the contaminated persons to travel neither by Iran nor by Lebanon knowing that the latter may not have the capabilities to manage a Covid-19 related crisis due to already very hard economic and political crises ! This is nothing less than a high-level scandal !

Although Iraq has closed its boundaries a few days ago as well as it reimposed visa-related requirements on Iranians travelling to Iraq, the Lebanese authorities including Minister of Interior Mohamad Fahmi and the chairman of the Middle East Airlines Mohamad el Hout haven't taken yet any relevant measure to protect the Lebanese people, primarily by banning any flight from Iran to Lebanon. Why do the Iraqis deserve to be protected whereas the Lebanese are condemned to be exposed ? Why are Lebanese treated with such disrespect and in such a degrading way ? Where are my fundamental rights as a Lebanese citizen living in Beirut and exposed everyday ? What kind of non-sense is that of authorities and fellow citizens coming back from Hajj in Iran that do not apply the most basic principles of precaution and health safety measures ?

Please join your voice to our to request the immediate cancellation of any incoming flight from Iran and to ban future ones until the situation is clear and in control ! How can we trust a country that does not implement the most basic rights to its own people ? Time to act, sign this petition !