Health Minister Firass Abiad speaks to reporters at Saida Governmental Hospital on Sunday. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Speaking at the Saida Governmental Hospital during the second day of the Health Ministry's COVID-19 vaccine marathon, Health Minister Firass Abiad said, "The occupancy rate of hospitals for people infected with COVID-19 this year is equivalent to one-third of what it was last year or less, and the difference this year is the vaccine."
Here's what we know:
• "As an epidemiological situation, it is true that we see that there is a significant increase in the number of cases," Abiad said, as reported by the NNA. "But at the same time we have our eyes on the hospitalization situation, and so far we see that the situation of hospital rates in Lebanon is stable and this is a good thing."
• Abiad said the current push is to vaccinate teachers and students ahead of the scheduled reopening of most schools on Monday. More than 30,000 people received a dose of the vaccine as part of the marathon Saturday, with the campaign continuing at some centers on Sunday.
• At the same time, on Saturday hundreds of protesters rallied in downtown Beirut to demonstrate against a mandate for public employees to be vaccinated or take regular PCR tests, as well as against other measures such as requiring proof of vaccination status to enter restaurants and other gathering places.
• Daily COVID-19 case numbers have skyrocketed in recent weeks with the arrival of the more-transmissible Omicron variant. One year ago today, the daily case total was 5,414 while there were 535 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, with daily ICU numbers shooting to above 900 in February 2021. By contrast, yesterday saw 7,547 new cases but only 347 in the ICU.
• While most schools are set to reopen on Monday, some, including in Bsharri and parts of the Bekaa, have postponed a return to classes by another week.