COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in Lebanon since February 2020 as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic , which took place in December 2019 in China originated. The pandemic affects the novel disease COVID-19 . This is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group and belongs to the group of respiratory diseases . From March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic.

course

On February 21, 2020, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Lebanon. This case first appeared in the WHO situation reports on February 22, 2020.

Empty pedestrian zone during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beirut (March 16, 2020)

Over two months since Lebanon reported its first case of the novel coronavirus, it has closed all non-essential facilities, including Beirut International Airport, and put in place night curfews and a range of other measures to encourage people to stay at home stay. On April 9, the Lebanese cabinet extended the nationwide lockdown to April 26. The previous approach seems to be delivering some positive results - the number of newly confirmed daily cases of coronavirus infection has decreased since the end of March, and the total has remained manageable compared to other countries in the Middle East and Europe. This recent decline has given researchers and medical professionals cautious hope that the capacity of the country's health system can weather the coronavirus crisis without being overwhelmed, Al-Monitor wrote. However, significant challenges remain with limited medical care and testing, making it difficult to determine the full extent of the outbreak, where it will peak, and whether there will be an increase in new infections as a result.

The northern Lebanese city of Bsharri was isolated from Saturday, April 11th to contain a coronavirus outbreak. Health Minister Hamad Hassan visited the city and several northern regions on April 9.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and difficult economic climate, the problem has arisen that several private hospitals may close due to a shortage of own funds and a failure to receive their grants from the state, which are valued at $ 1.3 billion. A number of hospitals in Keserwan, Metn and Beirut are threatened with closure as a result of the national debt and the rise in operating costs, said Ibrahim Kenaan, the chairman of the parliamentary finance and budget committee, on Twitter. Health Minister Hamad Hassan noted that contributions would be paid by June 2019 and that the outstanding amounts would be paid out soon. Hamad added that hospitals with financial difficulties could receive an advance for 2020.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Lebanon rose by 27 April 10 to 609, while the death toll reached 20, the National News Agency reported. Lebanon confirmed ten new coronavirus infections on April 11; this brings the total number of registered cases to 619 in the country. On April 12, 11 new COVID-19 cases, a total of 630, were confirmed. The Ministry of Health announced on April 13 that the total number of people infected with coronavirus has risen to 632 cases. It is also said the total death toll remains at 20. The number of those recovered rose to 80 that day. Lebanon confirmed nine more coronavirus cases on Tuesday, April 14, when another death was recorded, the Ministry of Health said. The new cases bring the total to 641 and the deaths to 21. The ministry noted that two of the nine new cases were registered among Lebanese expats who returned from London on an evacuation plane on Monday.

Lebanon confirmed 17 more novel coronavirus cases on Wednesday (April 15), bringing the country's total to 658, the Ministry of Health said. In a statement, the ministry said 12 of the infections were registered in local residents and five in expats who have returned to Lebanon in the past few days. It added that 941 laboratory tests had been performed in the last 24 hours. The Ministry of Health said on Saturday (April 18) that four new cases of coronavirus had been recorded, bringing the number of cases to 672. Since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded on February 21, 97 people have recovered from the virus, according to the ministry. Of the 672 cases so far, there were 21 deaths. According to the Ministry of Health, there were no coronavirus cases on Tuesday (April 21), so the number of infected people is 677. The death toll remains at 21 while recovery rates rose to 103. Health Minister Hamad Hassan assured the Lebanese on Monday that the crisis "is nearing its end".

On Thursday (April 23), the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 688, the Ministry of Health said. The death toll remains at 22 and the number recovered at 140. The ministry added that 1,357 laboratory tests had been performed in the last 24 hours and that 69 clusters of infections had been identified to date, including 13 that were active in the past two weeks . A 92-year-old man died of the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday (May 2) when four new coronavirus cases were recorded. According to the Ministry of Health, this increased the number of people with the virus to 733 and the number of deaths to 25. Two of the new cases were recorded among Lebanese expats who were recently flown back to Lebanon. Lebanon recorded the largest increase in weeks in the number of daily coronavirus cases on Sunday (May 10), according to official figures. The Ministry of Health said 23 residents and 13 evacuated Lebanese expats had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's number to 845. According to media reports on May 18, 17 foreign workers who lived in the same building tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to LBCI television, security forces have taken measures to isolate the building on Mohammed al-Hout Street in Beirut's Ras al-Nabaa district. According to media reports, the workers are of Bangladeshi and Syrian nationality. Lebanon ended a four-day general lockdown that day over a recent surge in coronavirus cases. Prime Minister Hassan Diab pointed to economic and financial troubles and pushed for stricter respect for social distancing and health instructions. The country has so far officially confirmed 911 coronavirus cases, including 26 deaths.

statistics

The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon as follows:

Infections

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Lebanon
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Lebanon over the course of the week
according to WHO data

New infections in Lebanon
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

New infections (per calendar week) in Lebanon
according to WHO data

Deaths

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Lebanon
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Lebanon over the course of the week
according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (daily) in Lebanon
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (per calendar week) in Lebanon
according to WHO data

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Since August 17, 2020, the WHO reports have only been published weekly, but contain additional information (around cases per million inhabitants). The last daily WHO report ( No. 209 , pdf) was published on August 16, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} This lists cases that have been reported to WHO by national authorities. Since the situation is very dynamic, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies, such as the Johns Hopkins University (CSSE).

Testing

Numbers on tests are not recorded more precisely because there is a lack of coordination, as the head of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad announced in mid-August 2020. The state and private tests are not coordinated, so he was only able to announce that 9,243 tests were conducted on August 18 and that this was a new record number. To get the situation better under control, he called for a two-week lockdown and consideration of who should be tested.

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic
• Protests in Lebanon 2019-20

Web links

Commons : COVID-19 Pandemic in Lebanon  - Pictures, Videos and Audio Files Collection

• World Health Organization (WHO): Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports on the website www.who.int (English)
• Johns Hopkins CSSE : Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. (English)
• Website World of Meters : real-time data of the Corona virus pandemic (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Pulmonologists on the net: Covid-19: Causes . Online at www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
2. ↑ Tagesschau: "Deeply worried". WHO speaks of corona pandemic . March 11, 2020. Online at www.tagesschau.de. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
3. ^ First Coronavirus Case Confirmed in Lebanon . February 21, 2020.
4. ↑ World Health Organization: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report . Online at www.who.int. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
5. ↑ Michael Kranz: Lebanon's coronavirus response is working, yet faces challenges. AlMonitor, April 3, 2020, accessed on April 3, 2020 (English). 
6. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Bsharri to be isolated as of Saturday, 800 PCR tests expected. Naharnet, April 10, 2020, accessed April 10, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Caroline Akoum: Lebanon: Hospitals at Closure Risk Amid Financial Crisis. Asharq al-Awsat , April 14, 2020, accessed on April 14, 2020 . 
8. ↑ Lebanon's COVID-19 cases rise to 609, death toll hits 20. China.org, April 10, 2020, accessed on April 10, 2020 (English). 
9. ↑ Lebanon confirms 10 new coronavirus infections, total 619. The Daily Star, April 11, 2020, accessed on April 11, 2020 (English). 
10. ↑ Lebanon confirms 11 new COVID-19 cases, total at 630. TheDaily Star, April 12, 2020, accessed on April 12, 2020 (English). 
11. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: 80 Recoveries, 632 Coronavirus Cases in Lebanon. Naharnet, April 13, 2020, accessed on April 13, 2020 . 
12. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Lebanon Records 9 New Virus Cases, 1 Death. Naharnet, April 14, 2020, accessed on April 14, 2020 . 
13. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: 17 New Cases Recorded virus, Lebanon to Receive Chinese Aid. Naharnet, April 15, 2020, accessed on April 16, 2020 . 
14. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Four coronavirus Cases Raise tally to 672, 97 recoveries. Naharnet, April 17, 2020, accessed on April 18, 2020 . 
15. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Health Ministry Says Zero coronavirus cases Tuesday. Naharnet, April 21, 2020, accessed on April 21, 2020 . 
16. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Lebanon Records Six New coronavirus cases. Naharnet, April 24, 2020, accessed April 24, 2020 . 
17. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: One New Death, Four New Coronavirus cases in Lebanon. Naharnet, May 2, 2020, accessed May 3, 2020 . 
18. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Lebanon Records Significant Surge in Coronavirus Cases. Naharnet, May 10, 2020, accessed on May 10, 2020 . 
19. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Reports: Building Isolated after 17 Foreign Workers Get virus. Naharnet, May 18, 2020, accessed on May 18, 2020 . 
20. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation reports; Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed on May 11, 2020 . 
21. ↑ Lebanon in inefficient battle against COVID-19: Abiad. zawya.com, August 19, 2020, accessed August 20, 2020 .