Lebanon Detects 1st Variant Covid-19 Case on Flight from UK

Lebanon detected, Friday, the first case of mutated coronavirus, which was first detected in the UK on a flight from London, according to Health Minister Hamad Hassan.

The new variant, which is believed to be more contagious, was carried by a passenger on an incoming Middle East Airlines flight 202 from London on December 21.

"We ask travellers from the UK, particularly those on the said flight and their relatives, to be vigilant and to commit to precautionary measures," Hassan stated.

President Michel Aoun approved the necessary funds to purchase the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, expecting the first batch to arrive in two months.

Last week, Lebanon eased Covid-19 related restrictions, allowing bars and nightclubs and restaurants to operate at a 50 per cent capacity during the holidays.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the country's economic and financial crisis amid a political paralysis that has left Lebanon without a fully functioning Cabinet since August.

Lebanon, which has population of 6 million, has reported 1,210 deaths since the coronavirus outbreak, registering 165,000 cases so far.

In October, the Lebanese government urged concerned officials to impose isolation on several areas for a week, with a complete shut down for all commercial activities, aiming to slow the spread of the Coronavirus.

Several towns objected the government decisions since there is no real proof in towns to apply such restrictions.

The concerned officials said that in some of the towns included in the isolation decision, only a small number of injuries got recorded, yet, the decision did not mention the areas that recorded dozens of Coronavirus cases.

Firas Abyad, director of a governmental hospital called Rafik Harir, stated that “This foreshadows an increase in the number of daily cases in the upcoming days.”

He added that the widespread of the virus would affect the hospitals negatively, as they would reach their maximum capacity.

He also added that “The fear that some patients will not be able to get the necessary care, which may increase the number of deaths.”