BEIRUT: The two-week lockdown in Lebanon to limit the spread of coronavirus ends on Sunday, but the continued high number of infections and deaths may limit the options of the government committee tasked with restoring normal life in the country.

On Saturday, owners of shops, stores, restaurants and cafes protested against measures that would keep their businesses closed, especially as the lucrative festive season approaches.

鈥淚f the state decides to continue closing our institutions during the festive season, these tourist establishments will declare their bankruptcy,鈥� Jean Beirouti, secretary-general of the Federation of Tourism Trade Unions, told Arab News.

Darkness prevails in Beirut markets that are usually vibrant at this time of year. 鈥淏lack Friday didn鈥檛 activate any commercial movement,鈥� Yehya Kasaa, chairman of the Lebanese Franchise Association, told Arab News.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know how long it will be possible to hold out if a good government isn鈥檛 formed. Politics in Lebanon is fighting the economy,鈥� he said.

鈥淪taying at home indeed provides safety for everyone, but in a country like Lebanon, which suffers economically, it鈥檚 impossible. People need to work and earn their daily living,鈥� he added.

鈥淭he franchise sector used to provide work for 100,000 workers. Now half of them have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis. Moreover, the Beirut Port explosion destroyed 70 percent of the sector, especially in central Beirut, and these shops haven鈥檛 reopened yet.鈥�

As of Saturday morning, there were more than 35,000 violations of the lockdown recorded by security forces.

鈥淧eople are groaning from the difficult economic situation we鈥檙e in,鈥� said Col. Joseph Mousallem, head of the Information Branch at the Internal Security Forces.

鈥淭he decline in the number of infections hoped by the Ministry of Health didn鈥檛 happen during the lockdown.鈥�