BEIRUT, Lebanon

​​A new wave of the COVID omicron variant in Lebanon is turning into a "tsunami", the country's health minister has warned.

"An omicron wave that started three weeks ago in Lebanon is turning into a tsunami," Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said in a tweet.

"The situation in hospitals and ICUs [Intensive care units] remains stable, capacity is being boosted," Abiad said.

Health authorities reported 17 fatalities from the virus on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 9,267, while new 7,547 infections brought the country's tally to 769,400.

On Dec. 9, Lebanese health authorities reported the first two cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus among travelers from Africa.

As of next Monday, the Lebanese government requires workers in the public sector to receive the anti-COVID-19 vaccine or to undergo a PCR test twice a week.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara