Lebanon's coronavirus cases rise to 120

By Mahmut Geldi

BEIRUT (AA) - Twenty-one new cases of the coronavirus in Lebanon were reported Monday, raising the total number of cases to 120, according to the country’s health minister.

Hamad Hassan urged the public to adhere to strict measures issued by officials.

He told a local television station that officials are trying to find the source of every case detected but acknowledged there are three cases that doctors do not know the source.

The health ministry had announced 99 cases and three deaths from the virus.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared a state of emergency Monday due to an outbreak of the virus known as COVID-19.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 146 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of 173,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 6,600, while more than 77,500 patients have recovered, according to Worldometer, a website that compiles new case numbers.

The current number of active cases is more than 88,500 -- 93% mild and 7% are in critical condition.