Lebanese citizen H.M. and a number of young men on Wednesday forced the closure of a bank branch in Tyre, the National News Agency said.

Lebanon recorded an increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus, recording 27 new cases on Wednesday including 11 Lebanese expats, without new deaths.

President Michel Aoun chaired the security meeting at Baabda on Wednesday emphasizing the need to strengthen security and military efforts to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s media office on Wednesday described as “fabricated” the claims that Lazrad financial adviser suggested the seizing of all bank deposits for the State’s benefit.

Exploration works for oil and gas off the Lebanese coast suggest the “existence” of gas, which means excavation work was not affected by the coronavirus crisis, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Lebanon’s SGBL bank on Tuesday announced a second initiative addressed at small depositors, in line with the central bank’s latest circular on exchange rates and withdrawal limits.

“Our bank would like to assure that, as of the morning of Wednesday, April 8, 2020, it will begin implementing (the central bank’s circular) through an easy electronic process, to the benefit of all small depositors who have accounts containing up to LBP 5 million or $3,000,” it said in a statement.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday extended gratitude to the Lebanese Health Ministry and the country’s medical crews over their efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thank all state officials, all the concerned ministries and all the people who are in Lebanon fighting the battle against the coronavirus pandemic that is threatening the lives of everyone,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday announced that the government will carry on with “the biggest ever operation to evacuate Lebanese citizens,” as more planes arrived from several European countries amid the global coronavirus crisis.

“Despite the bleak picture, what’s happening is very important, seeing as the Lebanese are requesting to return because their confidence in their state has been restored,” Diab added during a Cabinet session.

The French Red Cross on Tuesday sent around a ton of medical aid to the Lebanese Red Cross aboard an evacuation plane carrying Lebanese expats from Paris, MTV said.

The TV network said the French Red Cross made the initiative and collaborated with Lebanese Ambassador to France Rami Adwan and the head of Middle East Airlines’ bureau in Paris, Marcel Franjieh.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday reiterated that citizens’ deposits in Lebanese banks are “sacred,” this time during a meeting with Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

“People’s deposits in banks are among the sacred things that should not be disposed of under any circumstances,” Berri told Salameh.