Lebanon Confirms Record 20 New Deaths Caused by Coronavirus

By Staff, Agencies

A total of 499 people passed away due to coronavirus complications after a record 20 people died Wednesday.

A further 1,377 new cases of coronavirus cases were detected, bringing the total to 57,246, with the vast majority of cases among the local population rather than incoming travelers.

Local test positivity stood at 10.7 percent Wednesday, with 13,260 PRC tests having been carried out in the preceding 24 hours.

Intensive Care Units across the country are reaching capacity and the World Health Organization said Tuesday that all coronavirus dedicated ICU units in the Bekaa valley are full amid widespread community transmission in the area.

The high rate of transmission of the virus at the community level is a major problem for Lebanese authorities, who fear that the fragile health system will be overwhelmed by a surge in virus cases.

Positively, the daily amount of new virus cases detected appears to have steadied since last week. Public health expert Sara Chang tweeted earlier Wednesday "Growth in new cases has slowed - a good sign as we enter flu season. It's too early to tell if this trend will continue, or if it's simply a dip on the way up the curve."

Lebanon has entered the third day of a new period of local lockdowns in areas the Interior and Health ministries have designated as “red” areas due to having more than eight cases per 100,000 people.