by euroweeklynews — Following the explosion that tore through Beirut’s Karantina district on 4th August, local health services and hospitals are reaching maximum capacity. Lebanon has suffered a sharp rise in COVID-19 related cases and subsequent deaths in recent weeks. Cases continue to rise to a new high in the aftermath of the explosion that devastated Beirut earlier this month. At a recent press conference, the Health Minister, expressed his fear that: “Public and private hospitals in the capital, in particular, have a very limited capacity, whether in terms of beds in intensive care units or respirators”. The Health Minister is of the firm belief that the government should impose a new two-week lockdown to curtail the rise in cases stating, “We are on the brink, we don’t have the luxury to take our time”.

Lebanese authorities have released new figures which demonstrated 456 new infections on Monday alone, which is a new daily high for the country. This increases the total confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Lebanon to 9,337. Since the outbreak began, Lebanon has seen a total of 105 COVID-19 related deaths. The Health Minister fears are compounded by the fact that “In the capital, the intensive care units and the departments set up for the coronavirus in public hospitals are full”. He expressed severe concerns that “In most private hospitals that receive coronavirus patients, intensive care unit beds are occupied”.

A previous lockdown in the country was scheduled for this month however, in the wake of the devastating explosion that killed 177 and wounded in excess of 6,500 people, the plan was abandoned. The situation has been further impaired as a result of the explosion which engulfed a number of local hospitals and health services leaving them “out of service” and just compounds the Health Minister fears that Hospitals are reaching capacity.