Lebanon Records 2,652 Coronavirus Cases from Fewer Tests, 54 More Deaths

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon registered Monday 54 new coronavirus deaths and 2,652 cases from a relatively low number of PCR tests, as a leading figure in the country’s battle with the virus warned against rushing to lift lockdown restrictions.

The cases were detected among 9,175 PCR tests, a Health Ministry report said. The low number of tests, around half of what is usually conducted, is attributed to the fact that many labs close Sundays. The positivity rate of the tests in the last two weeks stood at 22 percent.

Among the newly recorded cases, only eight were detected among travelers arriving in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry report, with the total number of cases since the virus was detected in the country in late February rising to 282,249.

The Health Ministry said 2,413 patients were in hospital for COVID-19, with 930 in ICUs and 308 on ventilators.

According to the head of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad, ICU bed occupancy in the country is currently at 94.4 percent.

Lebanon witnessed a surge in daily virus deaths last week, consistently registering over 50 deaths, with the highest daily death tally at 67 Thursday. The overall number of coronavirus-related deaths since February stands at 2,404.

As cases remained high and hospitals still struggled to face the virus, authorities extended the current lockdown until Feb. 8 in a bid to curb the spread of the virus and relieve the health care sector.

However, with more than half the country’s population under the poverty line and many who rely on day-to-day work for income, in addition to business owners, the lockdown has been harsh. Groups of protesters over the weekend voiced their opposition to the extension of the lockdown.

Pressure is mounting on authorities to stand firm by their decision as many call for the exemption of more sectors from the lockdown period.