First case of coronavirus confirmed in Lebanon

The first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Lebanon after a woman arriving from Iran was found to be positive. There were also two other suspected cases.

“We confirmed the first case today,” Lebanese health minister Hassan Hamad said at a press conference in Beirut.

The Lebanese woman arrived in Beirut from the Iranian city of Qom, where several infections and deaths were reported this week.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization said there have been nine other confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Eight cases were reported by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention, and one case was reported by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population. According to WHO, some of those in the region who contracted the disease have already fully recovered and been released from the hospital.

With the addition of the individual diagnosed early Friday in Israel and this person in Lebanon, we are now looking at 11 cases in the region.

The Worldometer website, which reports caronavirus statistics in real time, is showing that there have been 76,823 total cases diagnosed and 2,250 deaths. Of those who contracted the virus, the site reports that 18,902 recovered.