Lebanon Launches 2-Day Pfizer Vaccine ‘Marathon’: 206 COVID-19 Cases, 5 Deaths

By Staff- Agencies

Lebanon recorded 206 coronavirus cases and five deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Friday, as the country prepared to ramp up its inoculation campaign.

The new cases brought the total number of coronavirus infections in Lebanon since the virus was first detected in the country in February 2020 to 542,375 along with a total of 7,790 deaths. Out of Friday’s cases, nine were detected among travelers arriving in Lebanon.

The cases were discovered among 16,064 tests, resulting in a two-week positivity rate of 1.7 percent. The report also detailed 136 individuals in hospital with the virus, with 78 patients in intensive care wards and 22 people on ventilators.

The Health Ministry also reported that 11,407 first-stage vaccine jabs had been administered, bringing the total to 597,128, or 12.5 percent of the eligible population. Another 3,546 vaccinations were administered as second-stage jabs, bringing the total number to 313,204, or 6.6 percent of the eligible population.

The Health Ministry will launch a two-day Pfizer vaccine "marathon" over the weekend to speed up the vaccination campaign.

Residents aged over 55 registered to receive the vaccine are invited to walk-in vaccine centers across Lebanon to take the jab. Residents with disabilities who are older than 16 are also included in the vaccine drive and are asked to bring their social affairs card with them.