Lebanon Registers 34 New COVID Deaths, 995 Cases

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon registered 34 new coronavirus deaths and 995 cases in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Monday.

The cases were detected among 7,352 tests, with only 10 cases found among travelers arriving at Rafik Hariri International Airport. The average positivity rate throughout the last two weeks stood at 13.6 percent.

The total number of cases since the virus was first detected in the country in February last year rose to 511,398, according to figures released by the Health Ministry. The total number of fatalities now stands at 6,959.

The statistics provided by the Health Ministry also show that 1,733 patients are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 and related complications, with 785 in the ICU and 215 requiring ventilators.

The vaccination rollout for those working in the public sector launched earlier Monday, as officers from the General Security received the Chinese Sinopharm jabs.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hasan said that it was important for security forces to be protected against the virus as they are front liners. He added that the ministry’s aim was to reach herd immunity in the upcoming months.

“The aim remains to increase the herd immunity level to 60 or 70 percent by the summer,” Hasan said during the launch of the vaccination drive.