A Lebanese nurse has passed away after contracting the novel coronavirus, making her the second medical worker in Lebanon to fall victim to COVID-19 following the death of a doctor last month.

Zeinab Haidar, 47, who worked at Beirut’s Zahraa Hospital, died on Monday at Rafik Hariri University Hospital, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

Lebanon’s Minister of Public Health Dr. Hamad Hassan expressed his condolences in a statement posted to Facebook and called on other medical workers “to tighten their protection measures” against the virus.

CEO of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Dr. Firass Abiad called Haidar a “martyr” on Monday.

“The medical body [of Lebanon] gives another martyr while performing duty. Zainab is a heroine…and she’s in a better place now,” said Abiad in a post on Twitter on Monday.

Medical workers in a moment of farewell to Zainab Haider at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut. (Twitter)

Haidar is the second young medical worker in Lebanon to pass away from coronavirus. Last month Louay Ismail, 32, died in the city of Nabatieh from complications related to COVID-19.

Ismail was an emergency room doctor in the southern city of Tyre, according to Lebanon’s National New Agency.

He was declared a national “martyr” following a request by Lebanese President Michael Aoun to the country’s cabinet ministers.

Lebanon has reported a total of 3,863 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 1,795 recoveries and 62 deaths, as of August 2.

Following a recent spike in cases, the government agreed Tuesday to implement a coronavirus lockdown from July 30 to August 3.

The lockdown will be suspended from August 3 to August 6, and will resume on August 7 for five more days so that authorities are able to reassess the situation.

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