SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 12 February 2025, Wednesday |

Lebanon registers 40 COVID-19 deaths, 1,277 cases

BEIRUT: Lebanon registered 40 new coronavirus-related deaths and 1,277 more infections within the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Monday, as the country expanded its vaccination drive to include a new age group.

The cases were detected among 8,213 tests, with only 17 cases found among travelers arriving at the Beirut International Airport. The average positivity rate throughout the last two weeks stood at 17.3%.

The overall tally of COVID-19 infections since the virus was first detected in the country on Feb. 21, 2020, rose to 462,339, according to figures released by the Health Ministry. The total number of fatalities now stands at 6,136.

The statistics provided by the ministry also show that 2,269 patients are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 and related complications, with 970 in intensive care units and 271 requiring ventilators.

Vaccines are not administered on Sundays, meaning that neither first nor second round jabs were provided in the last 24 hours. Nonetheless, the total number of people who have received one shot thus far is 125,106, and the total number of second dose vaccines administered since the start of the Feb.14 inoculation campaign stands at 69,013.

Lebanon began on Monday its campaign to specifically provide the 55-65 age group with vaccines – mainly the AstraZeneca – in several medical centers across the country.