The management of Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital in Beirut recorded a coronavirus case and issued the following statement on their official Facebook page, Sunday, March 8th:
“We received a patient who, after the necessary medical examination, was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.”
“The patient was transferred directly from the emergency department of Hotel-Dieu to Rafic Hariri Governmental University Hospital, according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Public Health.”
Two other cases admitted to the hospital were also suspected to carry the virus. Both patients have been quarantined upon admission to the hospital, pending the results of the medical examination.
The hospital proceeded to explain; “If these patients are confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus, they will also be transferred to Rafic Hariri Hospital for further medical followup, as instructed.”
“In addition, Hotel-Dieu Hospital had taken all necessary measures to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus infection to other patients and to the medical and nursing team.”
“The measures were made in accordance with international recommendations imposed by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,” the statement concluded.
As Hotel-Dieu recorded their first coronavirus case, Rafic Hariri Hospital has also announced 4 new coronavirus cases, to raise the total number of recorded coronavirus cases to 32 patients.
In its daily report, RHUH reported:
“During the past 24 hours, 100 cases were admitted in the emergency department, designated to receive suspected cases of infection with the new coronavirus.”
“All were subjected to necessary medical statements. 19 of them required to enter the quarantine according to the evaluation of the observer doctor, while the rest are committed to quarantine Domestic.”
“Laboratory tests were conducted for 116 cases, 112 of which were negative, and 4 were positive.”
The Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Tariq Al-Majzoub, requested to continue to suspend lessons in all public and private educational institutions until Sunday evening, March 15th, 2020.
حفاظًا على صحة التلامذة والطلاب والهيئتين الإدارية والتعليمية وسلامتهم، وبناءً على مقتضيات المصلحة العامة، يطلب الى جميع مديري المؤسسات التعليمية الرسمية والخاصة الاستمرار في تعليق الدروس في كل المؤسسات التعليمية الرسمية والخاصة حتى مساء الاحد الواقع فيه 15 آذار 2020 .
— Tarek MAJZOUB طارق المجذوب (@TarekMMajzoub) March 8, 2020
The request is addressed to schools, secondary schools, vocational institutes, and public and private universities. The statement says:
“In order to preserve the health and safety of students, students, and administrative and educational bodies, and after communicating with His Excellency the Minister of Public Health and the official bodies tasked with following up the fight against the coronavirus.”
“And based on the requirements of the public interest, all directors of public and private educational institutions are requested to continue to suspend lessons in all public and private educational institutions until Sunday evening, March 15th, 2020.”