Lebanon Reports Record High of 4,774 Daily Covid-19 Cases

Lebanon on Thursday reported a record daily tally of 4,774 new coronavirus cases on the first day of a 25-day lockdown.

The Health Ministry also said that 16 deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours.

The new cases raise the overall tally to 204,669, including 137,582 recoveries, while the fatalities take the death toll to 1,553.

The huge surge in infections comes after a holiday season in which tens of thousands of visitors flew into the country to celebrate Christmas and New Year's.

First responders in the country hit by a severe economic crisis say they have been transporting nearly 100 patients a day to hospitals that are now reporting near-full occupancy in beds and intensive care units.

Lebanon saw new infections begin to increase during the summer, following a massive explosion in Beirut's port in August that shook the city and its heath sector, killing over 200 people and injuring around 6,500. August's numbers increased by over 300% from July as a result and have been climbing since.