Coronavirus: Lebanon hospitals near capacity in wake of Beirut blast, says minister

Many of the capital's hospitals were damaged in the blast on August 4

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of the explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. AFP

Smoke billows from an area of a large explosion that rocked the harbour area of Beirut, Lebanon. EPA

The aftermath of blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

The scene of the explosion that rocked Beirut. AFP

The harbour area with smoke billowing from an area of the explosion, Beirut, Lebanon. EPA

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

The scene of the explosion at the port in Beirut. AFP

The scene of the explosion at the port in Beirut. AFP

The scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

People gather near the scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

The scene of the blast in Beirut. AFP

The scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

A wounded man is checked by a fireman near the scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

A resident stands in the street by a destroyed car, following the explosion near by at the port of Beirut. Bloomberg

Lebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman following an explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. AFP

Smoke rises after the explosion was heard in Beirut. Reuters

Firefighters spray water at a blaze after the explosion in Beirut. Reuters

People walk at scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

The blast at Beirut port. Twitter/ @borzou

Army personnel around entrance to port.

The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

The aftermath of blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

Sailors leave their damaged ship near the explosion in Beirut. AP Photo

A vehicle stands damaged on a road following a large explosion at the port area of Beirut. Bloomberg

Firefighters try to extinguish flames after a large explosion rocked the harbour area of Beirut. EPA

People and journalists gather at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

An injured man sits outside American University of Beirut medical centre on August 5, 2020. Reuters

Men stand before wrecked buildings near the port. Getty Images

A man walks by an overturned car and destroyed buildings. Getty Images

Lebanese soldiers stand outside American University of Beirut medical centre. Reuters

Injured people stand after the explosion. AP Photo

People gather by cars destroyed following an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

Wounded people wait to receive treatment outside a hospital following an explosion near the Beirut port. AFP

Lebanon’s health minister has called for a two-week lockdown as he warned on Monday that hospitals are reaching maximum capacity to treat coronavirus patients amid rising virus cases in the wake of the deadly Beirut blast.

Hamad Hasan called for a “general alert” over the rapid rise in cases over the last two weeks with Sunday marking the highest single-day rise so far with 439 new cases as the death toll passed 100.

"Public and private hospitals in the capital, in particular, have a very limited capacity, whether in terms of beds in intensive care units or respirators," caretaker health minister Hamad Hassan told a press conference.

"We are on the brink, we don't have the luxury to take our time," he warned, calling for authorities to take the "hard decision" to impose a new two-week lockdown to stem the spread of the virus.

Mr Hassan told Reuters that the government was not looking to close the country’s airport yet but said that many of the new cases were also coming from overseas.

"The real danger is the spread within society," he said. "Everyone must be on high alert and take the strictest prevention measures."

Coronavirus around the Middle East 

The rise comes after the disaster – which killed 177 people and wounded more than 6,500, many by falling debris and flying glass as windows shattered – caused pandemonium in the capital's already pandemic-stretched hospitals.

The total number of infections is now over 8,880, including 103 deaths since the start of the outbreak in February.

A previously planned lockdown was scrapped in the wake of the explosion.

"In the capital, the intensive care units and the departments set up for the coronavirus in public hospitals are full," the minister told Voice of Lebanon radio earlier.

"In most private hospitals that receive coronavirus patients, intensive care unit beds are occupied" already by COVID-19 patients, he added.

The minister said the situation was exacerbated after several Beirut hospitals were hit by the colossal port explosion and left "out of service".

The World Health Organization on August 12 said more than half of 55 healthcare facilities evaluated by the agency were "non-functional," three major hospitals were out of operation and another three were running at well below normal capacity.

The minister said the chaos in Beirut after the blast, Lebanon's worst peacetime disaster, made it difficult to enforce compliance with pandemic precautionary and preventive measures.

"Our ability to control behaviour in the face of the virus is more limited," the minister said.

He cited in particular "families going to hospitals to look for the wounded or missing," but also the mobilisation of healthcare workers and citizens to seek or provide aid after the blast.

The explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse where, according to the authorities, a huge amount of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years.

Since the explosion, thousands of volunteers have helped clean up rubble-strewn streets and distribute aid, while protesters have taken to the streets against the government, which is widely blamed for the negligence that led to the explosion.

Health officials have warned that the chaos caused by the blast risked leading to a further spike in infections.

The head of a major public hospital, Firass Abiad, has cautioned that, as attention has shifted away from the pandemic after the explosion disaster, "we cannot afford to allow the virus to go unchecked".