A health workers performs a PCR test. (Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
BEIRUT— Despite the increasing number of new COVID-19 cases daily, which is expected to surpass “10,000 today,” Health Minister Firass Abiad on Wednesday reassured that there remains no need for a countrywide lockdown.
Here’s what we know:
• Abiad announced at a press conference held at the Grand Serail that “coronavirus infections will exceed 10,000 today,” noting that “the situation does not require a general closure, but we cannot ease measures like other countries.”
• Last month, Abiad estimated that “the opening of schools would likely accentuate the spread of the virus,” stressing, however, the importance of students attending in-person classes. He added, at the time, that the number of hospital beds dedicated to COVID-19 was increased by almost 30 percent to combat the rise in cases.
• Officials have so far worked to avoid the need for a total lockdown by directing efforts towards preventative measures, including ramping up the country’s vaccination campaign.