Lebanon Records 1,512 New Coronavirus Cases, Health Committee Agrees Two-week Lockdown

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon confirmed 1,512 new coronavirus cases and 15 deaths Tuesday, as the head of the parliamentary Health Committee members recommended a two-week lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

MP Assem Araji Tuesday said that the committee members recommended a two-week coronavirus lockdown to relieve the ailing health sector.

“Members of the Health Committee are with closing down the country for at least two weeks,” Araji said after the committee's meeting in Parliament.

Araji also stressed the need for more beds to receive coronavirus patients.

“New beds should be prepared in private and public hospitals in the next 14 days,” in order to be “prepared for the second wave of coronavirus,” Araji said.

Of the new cases, 42 were from incoming travelers. In the last 24 hours, 15,503 PCR tests were administered.

The number of active cases is now at 40,657 out of a total 85,209 people infected from the disease ever since it was first detected in February 21.

So far, a total of 667 people has died from coronavirus complications.

273 patients are currently in critical condition. Head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad said Monday that Lebanon’s hospitals had increased their ICU beds by 85 percent since September to accommodate the surge of cases.

Health experts warned of the critical situation that hospitals may soon face, with the numbers of coronavirus patients constantly increasing and bound to overwhelm the health sector’s capacity.

Earlier, caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan has been calling for a total nationwide lockdown for four weeks, warning that the health sector “’can no longer” cope with the surge in coronavirus cases registered in the country due to shortages in beds and equipment.