Restaurants won't be fired for non-implementation for the 'health pass' during its first two weeks, a ministry spokesperson said.(Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — The “health pass” regulation announced by the Tourism Ministry on Friday officially went into effect Monday, but businesses that fail to comply with it will receive nothing more than a “verbal warning” for the first two weeks of its implementation, a ministry spokesperson has told L’Orient Today.
Here’s what we know:
• Starting Monday, a health pass is required for individuals above 16 years old to enter tourist establishments, such as cafés, restaurants, hotels, bars and seaside resorts.
• While the decision the ministry issued on Friday only specified “vaccine certificates” and “rapid antigen tests” or proof of immunity to COVID-19 as valid documentation to gain access to the listed establishments, Mazen Bou Dergham, a spokesperson for the Tourism Ministry, told L’Orient Today that a negative PCR test may also be presented to gain access to tourist establishments, but he was unable to provide details of how recent the test result would need to be to be deemed valid for entry.
• The Tourism Ministry is organizing a vaccination marathon for tourism sector staff, the Dergham said. During this two-week phase, establishments are required to send lists of names of employees to the relevant syndicates so that in turn the lists can be submitted to the ministry, he added.
• After the primary phase, which is designed to allow the tourism sector to adapt to a new reality marked by stricter regulations, cafes, restaurants, resorts, bars and hotels alike will be fined for any failure to implement the regulations.
• The ministry’s decision came in response to recommendations made last week by the National Committee on COVID-19. Last Tuesday, Lebanon registered its highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases since April 24 and the daily number of new cases has since repeatedly passed the 1,000 mark.