Lebanon will not have enough hospital beds to cope with increasing COVID-19 cases, caretaker Health Minister warned Thursday, saying compliance with a two-week lockdown that ended this week had been patchy.
In a Tweet, Hassan said cases were on the rise and although more hospital beds had been added, these would not be enough.
Intensive care units were at critical capacity when Lebanon ordered the lockdown and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab had warned the shutdown may be extended if people did not comply.
The health ministry said on Wednesday 1,842 COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths had been recorded in the past 24 hours. Recorded deaths due to COVID-19 total 1,055.
On top of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lebanon is in the throes of a major financial and economic crisis and still grappling with the aftermath of the devastating Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut port.
The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, has brought the country to its knees.
