DUBAI: Lebanon’s Minister of Interior said the country may go into another lockdown if daily coronavirus cases surge.

Interior Minister, Mohammed Fahmi, told local media The Daily Star on Saturday that he hoped daily cases would remain as they are to avoid another lockdown in the country. 

On Friday, Lebanon announced that it detected its first case of the new variant of the coronavirus on a flight arriving from London.

“The detection of the first case of the new variant of Covid-19 on Middle East Airlines flight 202 coming from London on Dec. 21,” the country’s health minister said on Twitter, urging all passengers on the flight and their families to take precautionary measures.

Lebanon has reported over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths.

With the holiday season in full swing and lockdown measures eased up, Lebanon has been witnessing an increase in cases with the daily tally crossing the 2,000 mark.