Lebanon’s Daily Coronavirus Cases Surpass 2k

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon registered a record 2,089 new coronavirus cases and seven deaths Thursday as the head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital warned of more infections to come with the arrival of colder weather.

Of the new cases, 34 came from travelers arriving from abroad. There are a total number of 41,389 active cases in the country.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, a total of 89,186 people have now been infected with the virus since it was first detected in the country in late-February. A total of 683 people have died due to virus related complications.

Dr. Firass Abiad in a tweet Thursday morning said the Health Ministry reported that the incidence of coronavirus had exceeded 400 cases per 100,000 people, calling it “a new record.”

“The arrival of rain and the decrease in temperature forces the movement of society to indoor spaces, and this is often accompanied by a greater increase in infection rates, which is what we are currently witnessing in Europe and America. Cold Autumn weather and heavy thunderstorms arrived in Lebanon this week, flooding roads and buildings across the country.

This comes as Lebanon mulls a possible nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Amid increasing infections, Lebanon extended its nightly curfew, lasting from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m since Sunday, although there is still no word from authorities as to when this will end.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hasan called Monday for a total lockdown that would last a total of four weeks, conceding again that the localized lockdowns the country has trialed since early October have done little to curb the spread of the virus.

Nearly 25 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in Lebanon have occurred in the last two weeks alone. Deaths from coronavirus complications have themselves increased by 80 percent during the same period.