An official decision on a lockdown is expected to be taken Monday.
In Jezzine, south Lebanon, an official decision by local authorities was already taken to put the town under lockdown as cases rose.
Meanwhile local media reported that a number of hospitals and laboratories stopped administering PCR tests as they reached their maximum testing capacity.
A large number of people flocked to PCR testing centers Friday and Saturday as the holiday season came to a close and after many big gatherings, parties and events were held on New Year’s Eve, despite rising numbers.
The Secretary General of the Lebanese Red Cross told local media Friday that most hospitals in Beirut had reached their capacity to take in coronavirus patients.
Lebanon registered record-breaking numbers of daily COVID-19 cases on the last day of 2020, with more than 3,500 cases.
Officials expect a higher surge in cases in around 10 days as the impact of overcrowded events and gatherings on New Year’s Eve is translated into numbers.
