Lebanon's coronavirus cases reach 10,000 mark
Lebanon’s total coronavirus cases hit the 10,000 mark Wednesday, as the country confirmed a record 589 new cases in the last 24 hours as well as two more deaths.
Wednesday’s numbers marked a 168 jump in cases since the previous day alone. There have now been a total of 10,347 cases since the virus was first detected on Feb. 21. Of the new cases, 581 were detected among the local population and only eight were found among travelers from abroad. With two new registered deaths, there are now a total of 109 deceased due to coronavirus complications.
Despite a record high of 9,243 PCR tests being conducted Tuesday, health experts have criticized authorities, who they say are still not providing an accurate picture of the virus’ spread in Lebanon, due to the lack of a coordinated surveillance strategy.
“There is no declared national strategy. There is a combination of private testing and governmental testing, but I don’t think that there is any coordination,” head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad told The Daily Star.
Lebanon’s already fragile health system took a heavy blow in the Beirut Port explosion, which seriously damaged four hospitals in Beirut.
The positivity rate in June among tests conducted on the local population was 0.82 percent. In July, it jumped to 2.14 percent, but two weeks into August it now stands at 4.85 percent. The positivity rate among inbound travelers has stayed relatively stable since the airport reopened.
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi Tuesday announced a two-week lockdown that will start Friday and includes a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, it contains numerous exceptions that have been put in place to accommodate the multiple, overlapping crises Lebanon is facing – not least the aftermath of the Aug. 4 port explosion that left more than 300,000 people in Beirut temporarily homeless.
Despite a record high of 9,243 PCR tests being conducted Tuesday, health experts have criticized authorities, who they say are still not providing an accurate picture of the virus’ spread in Lebanon, due to the lack of a coordinated surveillance strategy.
“There is no declared national strategy. There is a combination of private testing and governmental testing, but I don’t think that there is any coordination,” head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad told The Daily Star.
Lebanon’s already fragile health system took a heavy blow in the Beirut Port explosion, which seriously damaged four hospitals in Beirut.
The positivity rate in June among tests conducted on the local population was 0.82 percent. In July, it jumped to 2.14 percent, but two weeks into August it now stands at 4.85 percent. The positivity rate among inbound travelers has stayed relatively stable since the airport reopened.
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi Tuesday announced a two-week lockdown that will start Friday and includes a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, it contains numerous exceptions that have been put in place to accommodate the multiple, overlapping crises Lebanon is facing – not least the aftermath of the Aug. 4 port explosion that left more than 300,000 people in Beirut temporarily homeless.
