After an explosion destroyed much of the country’s capital, Lebanon is now struggling with new COVID-19 outbreaks that may have occurred due to the aftermath of the blast with hundreds displaced and thousands injured seeking medical attention. The explosion badly damaged six of Beirut’s hospitals, hindering its capability to address the COVID-19 crisis.
On Monday, Lebanon’s health minister called for a mandatory nationwide two-week lockdown to halt the virus’s spread as the country recorded a single-day record of 439 cases. The country avoided a major outbreak earlier in the year by locking the country down and ensuring that its health care system would be able to handle the pandemic in the event of an outbreak. Now, Lebanon is faced with repairing its capital and providing medical care to hundreds of new coronavirus patients.
Read More: After Beirut Explosion, Lebanon Faces Surge in Coronavirus Cases