Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged the State in his Easter message on Saturday to focus on social justice, preserve the life savings of Lebanese in the banks and recover the State’s “looted” funds, the National News Agency reported.

The United States announced on Friday a 10 million-dollar reward for "any information on the activities, networks and associates" of Muhammad Kawtharani, a Lebanese Hizbullah commander accused of playing a key role in coordinating pro-Iran groups in Iraq. 

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri criticized the government in a tweet saying it “failed” to formulate a rescue economic plan for the country’s dwindling economic, and instead is heading towards an “economic suicide plan.”

The northern town of Bsharri will be isolated as of Saturday morning in order to contain a coronavirus outbreak there, its mayor said on Friday.

“Bsharri will be placed on lockdown as of 6:00 am tomorrow and exit and entry will be prohibited,” Bsharri municipal chief Freddy Kayrouz said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea commented Friday on the government's leaked financial plan.

''Before addressing the financial aspect, which is important and essential, the state is asked to quickly send the minimum number of signals through which it can regain the lost confidence factor,'' Geagea said in a statement distributed by his press office.

The Internal Security Forces said Friday they had made their largest cannabis seizure in history last month, unearthing 25 tons of the drug intended for Africa.

Lebanon on Friday confirmed 27 more COVID-19 coronavirus cases, raising the total to 609, the Health Ministry said.

It noted that 14 of them were among Lebanese expats evacuated from abroad.

MP Sethrida Geagea of the Lebanese Forces has saluted Health Minister Hamad Hasan, who is close to Hizbullah, over his visit to Bsharri and other northern regions.

“His political affiliation did not prevent him from playing his role in the best way possible and to work for all Lebanese equally,” Geagea said in an interview with al-Joumhouria newspaper.

A coronavirus case has been confirmed among the Lebanese expats who were evacuated from Doha yesterday, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

“The infected person will be transferred to hospital while strict quarantine measures will be taken as to those who tested negative,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Several U.S. citizens in Lebanon have told CNN that they have decided not to be repatriated to the United States because they believe that it is “safer” in Lebanon amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. citizens who spoke to CNN cited skyrocketing cases in the U.S.