The Lebanese Red Cross said on Wednesday evening that rescuers have treated 67 people and 35 more were just sent to the hospital. State media reported that 226 protesters and police were wounded in clashes in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli.

This is the third consecutive day of protests in Tripoli against the total lockdown imposed by the authorities to curb the COVID-19.

Security forces issued a statement saying that protesters insist on breaking into the headquarters of the Tripoli government by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the forces.

"We will use all the means allowed by law to disperse demonstrators," it said.

The government imposed a 24-hour curfew earlier this month in a bid to curb a raging COVID-19 outbreak that has killed more than 2,500 people.

Aid workers warn that the lockdown piles extra hardship on the poor, now accounts for more than half the population. Many rely on daily wages.

The financial meltdown, which crashed the currency, poses the greatest risk to Lebanon's stability since its 1975-1990 civil war.

"People are tired. There's poverty, misery, lockdown and there's no work... Our problem is the politicians," said Samir Agha at the Tripoli protest before clashes erupted on Wednesday night.

Earlier on Wednesday, the nation's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the lockdown was necessary to contain the virus. He acknowledged that government aid was not enough to cover needs but said it would help "reduce the burdens."

The COVID-19 response has also triggered anger in Beirut, where infections reached some of the region's highest levels and many ICU wards are full.

The country has reported 289,660 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover photo: Lebanese protesters block a road with barrels and burn garbage containers during a protest against strict lockdown measures in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, January 26, 2021. /AP)

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