By Staff, Agencies Lebanon registered 1008 new coronavirus cases and 42 more related deaths and 1,008 cases in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Monday as a new set of measures for the month of Ramadan went into force. The cases were detected among 8,756 tests, with only 20 cases found among travelers arriving at Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The average positivity rate throughout the last two weeks stood at 15.2 percent.

The total number of cases since the virus was first detected in the country on February 21, 2020, rose to 497,854, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.

The total number of fatalities now stands at 6,703.

The statistics provided by the Health Ministry also show that 1,977 patients are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 and related complications, with 869 in the ICU and 254 requiring ventilators.

A new set of measures went into effect in Lebanon Monday as the holy month of Ramadan kicked off, with a new curfew from 9:30 p.m.

until 5 a.m.

and with mosques allowed a 30 percent intake capacity, among other rules