Lebanon reported seven new confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus, raising the total number of recorded cases in the country to 66 on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Public Health which also reported the country’s third death due to the virus.

The Lebanese Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan said that eight government hospitals have been equipped to increase the capacity to deal with additional cases.

The National News Agency (NNA) citing a daily report issued by Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut said the hospital alone has at its isolation unit 38 confirmed cases.

“during the past 24 hours, 158 cases in the emergency unit designated to receive cases suspected of being infected with the disease, whereby 17 of them had to be admitted to the quarantine section while the rest adhered to home quarantine,” read the hospital’s statement carried by the news agency.

It added “Laboratory tests were conducted over 206 cases, 199 of which were negative and 7 positive.” the Hospital report indicated.

Sanitary workers disinfect the desks and chairs of the Lebanese Parliament in central Beirut on March 10, 2020 amid the spread of coronavirus in the country. (AFP)

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It also disclosed that 19 cases that were held in quarantine were released today,” after their test results came out negative. Fourteen cases are currently present in the quarantine section.

The Hospital added that the health condition of coronavirus cases is stable, except for 2 in critical condition, all of whom receiving the necessary care in the isolation unit.

In a related development Restaurants, cafes, shopping malls and shops across the country shut their doors to customers on Thursday.

Meanwhile, former PM Saad Hariri said that the situation cannot tolerate any outbidding, and that fighting coronavirus requires the utmost seriousness.

He stressed that the mistakes that have occurred are now behind us, and what is in front of us is only the mobilization of all efforts within the State, health institutions and civil society to fight the epidemic.

He said on Twitter: “The danger of the virus does not depend on the sectarian and political identity, and if the health requirements necessitate strict measures to control land crossings and to place a neighborhood or region where the virus is found in quarantine, we should not hesitate. The world has declared a state of emergency, from America to China and Italy. What is needed is to isolate government decisions from politics.”

He added: “This is an opportunity to praise the medical staff and all the employees of the Rafic Hariri University Hospital, the Lebanese Red Cross and all the health institutions that established spaces dedicated to fight the epidemic,” according to a statement issued by Hariri press office and was carried by NNA.

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Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:54 - GMT 06:54