Lebanon’s health ministry continued to warn citizens of the repercussions of ignoring safety precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak, especially as students prepare to return to schools at the end of the month.
Speaking from the northern city of Tripoli, which accounts to 20 percent of COVID-19 infections, caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan said Monday the healthcare situation was critical throughout the country.
"The situation demands the complete awareness of citizens," he told a news conference following with Governor of the North, Ramzi Nohra.
He announced the start of the second phase to combat the pandemic by increasing the number of beds at government hospitals in Tripoli, Halba and Sir al-Dinnieh.
“One week from now, we will witness a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases,” he hoped.
Moreover, Hassan highlighted the need for joint efforts by the public and private sectors to curb the outbreak.
The Coronavirus Crisis Follow-up Cell in the Tripoli Governorate said Monday that 43 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the district in the past 24 hours. Thirty-three were registered in Tripoli, four in Mina and six in al-Beddawi.
Throughout Lebanon, the Health Ministry said 400 new infections were confirmed on Monday, raising the total to 28,426. It confirmed nine more deaths.
Meanwhile, caretaker Education Minister Tarek al-Majzoub announced that the new academic year will begin on September 28, adding that the ministry will evaluate the health situation every week to prevent an outbreak of the pandemic.
In Palestinian refugee camps, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced that test results have revealed 27 new cases of coronavirus, including one among the agency’s staff.
The agency announced the closure of its health center in the Ain al-Hilweh camp and its central clinic in Beirut for them to be disinfected.
