Lebanon’s Health Minister Urges Citizens Not To Abandon COVID-19 Measures

Lebanon’s Health Minister Firas Abiad on Wednesday encouraged residents to take protective measures against the spread of the COVID-19 virus after the World Health Organization warned that new waves of the pandemic were expected. Abiad said Lebanon’s vaccination rate stood at only 45% and that the Eastern Mediterranean country was about to receive foreign tourists and expats from countries that have seen a resurgence in cases, according to a statement by the Health Ministry. “Precautionary measures in Lebanon have become nearly nonexistent, which must not be the case,” the minister warned. He called on unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated and encouraged all residents to adopt social distancing measures, handwashing, and wearing a mask, especially in public institutions, gatherings, restaurants, and enclosed places. Lebanon on Wednesday registered 111 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 1,100,007.