BEIRUT: Lebanon registered nine new coronavirus cases Tuesday as Rafik Hariri University Hospital confirmed the first infection among its own front-line health care workers.

Six of the new cases were detected among the local population, and three among repatriated nationals. There have so far been 32 deaths due to coronavirus complications and 889 recoveries. The total number of cases in the country is now 1,473.

Six cases were found in Tripoli, one in Sidon, one in Nabatieh and one in Bint Jbeil.

Coronavirus tests were low Tuesday, with the Health Ministry recording 1,142 PCR tests administered over the last 24 hours.

This news comes after head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Firas Abiad said via twitter that one of the hospitals frontline health care workers was diagnosed with coronavirus.

Other hospitals in the country receiving coronavirus patients have previously recorded infections among health care workers, but this is a first for RHUH, which has taken on most coronavirus patients in Lebanon since the illness was first detected on Feb. 21.

It was the first staff infection [in RHUH] since the crisis began, Abiad tweeted.

Despite the recent steadiness in daily case numbers Abiad expressed concern Friday about the health situation in Lebanon. ''Our COVID-19 situation is not reassuring,'' Abiad tweeted. He cited the return of mass demonstrations and general negligence toward social distancing measures.

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