Lebanon has announced to extend total lockdown by two weeks to control the rise in coronavirus cases, reports AFP. Lebanon’s health sector is collapsing and number of daily cases reported have remained exceptionally high.
The government has imposed curfew and limit grocery shopping to home deliveries. “The total lockdown is extended to February 8, 5 am,” the Higher Defence Council, Lebanon’s top security body, said in a statement.
According to the health ministry, 64 people lost their lives in 24 hours on Wednesday.
Firass Abiad, the head of Lebanon’s main state hospital treating coronavirus, backing the new extension, said the epidemic is uncontrolled in the country with limited additional health system capacity available.
Authorities have urged hospitals to increase the number of beds for coronavirus cases.
Lebanon has recorded 264,647 coronavirus cases and 2,084 deaths since February 2020.
Cases spiked during the end-of-year holidays, despite warnings from health professionals.
