Lebanon Registers 48 COVID-19 Deaths, 2,930 Cases

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon Thursday registered 48 more coronavirus-related deaths and 2,930 new cases as the caretaker health minister warned of careless attitudes toward virus prevention measures.

The cases were detected among 21,288 tests, with no cases found among travelers arriving at Beirut International Airport. The positivity rate throughout the last two weeks stood at 17.2 percent.

The total number of cases since coronavirus was first detected in Lebanon on Feb. 21, 2020, now stands at 411,839, according to figures released by the Health Ministry. The total number of fatalities has risen to 5,278.

The statistics provided by the Health Ministry also show that 2,361 patients are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 and related complications, with 951 in the ICU and 295 requiring ventilators.

The Health Ministry also reported that 2,573 first-stage jabs and 4,464 second-round vaccinations had been administered over the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of inoculations since the Feb. 14 launch to 90,287 first-stage and 12,982 second-stage vaccinations so far.

Lebanon is set to fully ease coronavirus restrictions on March 22, opening coffee shops, schools and restaurants as the last reopening stage goes into practice.

Meanwhile, caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hasan warned people against neglecting virus prevention guidelines.

“Vaccines don’t mean that the pandemic is over. Some [people in some] regions are acting as if there is no general mobilization and that is overwhelming hospitals,” Hasan said.

He added that hospitals in certain governorates had no beds left to take in coronavirus patients and were transferring them to hospitals in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. When Lebanon witnessed unprecedented spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases back in January, it was Beirut and Mount Lebanon hospitals that were hit hard and had run out of space, contrary to the situation now.