Lebanon has been since Wednesday night witnessing a full lockdown as the total infections reached 886 on Thursday. Meanwhile, the third phase of an operation to repatriate Lebanese expats stranded in corona-hit countries has started.
In its daily report, Ministry of Public Health announced that 8 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, noting that of them 6 were domestic cases, while the other two infections were imported.
The ministry added that 1691 PCR tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, noting that all of them were carried out for residents in Lebanon.
No new recovery cases were registered, the ministry announced, keeping the total recovery cases at 236. Meanwhile, no new deaths were reported, the report added, keeping the death toll nationwide at 26.
For his part, Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan, indicated that he will submit to the government a report on the latest developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic on forthcoming Sunday.
“The Ministry of Public Health’s healthcare teams have deployed nationwide as part of a broad campaign to test those who have had contact with coronavirus cases and those of being infected, in order to update data on the pandemic reality,” Hassan said during a Cabinet session at the Grand Serail Thursday.
On the other hand, Lebanese security forces were on Thursday enforcing the four-day full lockdown, by setting up checkpoints on roads in several areas across the country.
Meanwhile, the third repatriation phase of Lebanese expatriates from abroad was to begin on Thursday afternoon, National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Planes belonging to Middle East Airlines (MEA) took off earlier today carrying teams from the Ministry of Public Health and Lebanon’s General Security heading for several destinations including Istanbul, Riyadh, Paris, Abuja, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and London.
Today’s flights will only repatriate citizens who have undergone PCR tests, according to NNA.
Source: Al-Manar English Website and NNA
