Lebanon records first death from coronavirus

Lebanon recorded its first death from coronavirus on Tuesday, and local broadcasters said the patient had been in quarantine after returning from Egypt.

The government has halted flights for non-residents from epicentres of the virus, shut schools and warned against public gatherings as the total number of cases rose to 41 this week. A health ministry official said the man who died was 56 and had suffered from a chronic illness. The patient had been in quarantine in a Beirut state hospital.

Health Minister Hassan Hamad has warned the virus was spreading and asked Lebanese to take precautions without panicking. Lebanon's crippling financial crisis could pose a threat to managing its relatively limited coronavirus outbreak that has been kept in check but is expected to spread, health officials say.