A cordon is seen at Beirut Corniche in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 8, 2021. Lebanon reported on Friday a new record of 5,440 daily COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the country to 210,139. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Lebanon reported on Friday a new record of 5,440 daily COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the country to 210,139.

The death toll went up by 17 to 1,570, the Health Ministry said.

Lebanon started on Thursday the third nationwide lockdown since the outbreak of the virus on Feb. 21, 2020.

LBCI local TV channel reported on Friday evening that a big number of people have been committing to the new lockdown measures while security forces were deployed in the streets to monitor the adopted measures.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan reiterated his call for private hospitals to open departments for the treatment of COVID-19 amid an unprecedented increase in the number of infections over the past few days.

Lebanon and China supported each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In February, Lebanese President Michel Aoun expressed solidarity with China in its battle against the coronavirus. In return, China offered help to Lebanon's anti-coronavirus fight, including the donation of medical equipment to Beirut's airport and Lebanon's Health Ministry.

Later on April 16, China donated 3,000 testing kits and 200 manual thermometers to Lebanon.