The Minister of Public Health, Hamad Hasan, stated that Lebanon has still not exceeded the third stage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.
While visiting health facilities in the Bekaa Valley, Minister Hasan asserted that “the epidemic is under control.”
He attributed this to the awareness and cooperation of everyone in Lebanon, highlighting the importance of continuing to adhere to the general mobilization and the preventive procedures, in order to keep the outbreak mitigated.
The minister noted that it is especially crucial to stand by these precautionary measures when a new case is recorded.
“It is important when recording an infection that there be a commitment to home quarantine and that all precautions are taken for personal and societal protection,” Hasan said on Friday.
Responding to a question regarding the likelihood of the extension of the ongoing general mobilization, the minister said that the decision will be made by the Cabinet in a meeting this Sunday, May 17th.
As stated by Minister Hasan, the upcoming meeting will involve a review of the results of the random tests being conducted during the 4-day total lockdown, based on which the Lebanese government will make its decision.
Using the aforementioned random tests, the Health Ministry aims to trace COVID-19 transmissions, especially in the Lebanese areas with high case numbers.
On Friday, May 15th, which marks the second day of the emergency lockdown, the ministry recorded 5 new cases of infection.
With that, the total number of cases has risen to 891 in Lebanon. 629 of them are active cases.
