BEIRUT, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's COVID-19 infections increased on Friday by eight cases to 696 while the death toll remained unchanged at 22, the National News Agency reported.
The Higher Defense Council advised on Friday the government to extend lockdown in Lebanon until May 10 in a bid to enable the country to better contain the virus.
The lockdown is expected to be implemented in parallel with the easing of some mitigation measures in certain sectors such as food industries, paper and electrical equipment factories.
"We will ease measures gradually because we cannot bear the negative consequences of removing the lockdown completely for the time being," Health Minister Hamad Hassan said during his tour at a hospital in Baalbek in Beqaa.
The Health Ministry has been increasing the number of daily PCR tests gradually as experts said that 2,500 tests need to be administered daily in a random manner for a more accurate assessment of the virus outbreak in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Lebanon is expecting the return of more Lebanese expats stranded overseas. Enditem
