Lebanon’s COVID Cases Plateau, 10% Fully Vaccinated

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon registered 161 new coronavirus cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported Wednesday, while the proportion of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 reached 10 percent.

The new cases were detected among 15,627 tests, resulting in an average two-week positivity rate of 1.4 percent. Out of Wednesday’s infections, nine were from travelers arriving into Lebanon.

The total cases stands at 544,866 infections and 7,851 deaths in Lebanon since the virus was first detected in February 2020.

The Health Ministry report also detailed that 102 individuals were in hospital with the virus, with 53 in intensive care and 15 patients on ventilators.

Over the last 24 hours, 15,540 first-stage coronavirus vaccines were administered, bringing the total to 947,872 individuals who have received the jab since the rollout began five months ago. A further 10,104 second doses were administered, resulting in a total of 474,534 people or 10 percent of the eligible population who are now fully vaccinated.

Lebanon has been witnessing a decline in the spread of the virus over the last few months after a heavy outbreak blighted the health sector and caused stringent lockdowns at the start of the year.

Most of society has reopened and many citizens have relaxed social distancing regulations as more become vaccinated, which has upped immunity levels among the community.