The Lebanese government has taken several measures since January 2020 to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The government has adopted a holistic governmental approach that involves both governmental agencies and society as a whole. This approach is based on a comprehensive strategy to prevent infection, save lives, reduce risks, and ensure an effective response. Governorates and municipalities have developed action plans to prevent and avoid the spread of the virus and to respond to it in the event of an outbreak. These plans included promoting awareness, as well as establishing and training municipal task force teams to intervene, set up hotline number within municipalities, determine local needs, work on tracing suspected and positive cases between people, ensure coordination between all concerned parties, track those who don’t reinforce/ implement government circulars and measures, and take necessary steps to significantly contribute to reducing the negative impacts of the health emergency. In a proactive step to avoid the likelihood of increase in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, to care for persons with limited resources who are in close contact with infected persons, and to avoid additional burdens on designated hospitals, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities issued Circular No. 8/2020 requesting that governors and municipalities provide appropriate places suitable for quarantining to isolate suspect and virus-infected persons who are not in need of medical attention.

Based on the above and in line with the measures adopted at the national level, this manual was prepared with the aim of providing all the procedures needed in order to identify, prepare, and manage quarantine centers. The purpose of the manual is to help municipalities and Mukhtars (in the absence of municipal councils) in tasks related to monitoring and following up on quarantined cases (both at homes and within centers), ensuring local security, observing hygiene measures, and protecting the local environment through an appropriate management of solid waste generated from tools and medical supplies used to protect against the virus. The municipalities and Mukhtars are expected to ensure that measures are taken to protect the most vulnerable populations, including refugees, foreigners, women, children, and people with special needs and disabilities.

The medical and social teams designated at the district or governorate level are responsible of the reinforcement and implementation of medical and psychological procedures.