Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) on Thursday said it would impose a full lockdown in the parts of the country that it controls following a rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases, reported Reuters.
Although Libya managed to avoid an early surge of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of infections spiked this month. Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), one of the few bodies that operate across the country despite the conflict, has confirmed over 3000 coronavirus cases so far.
The five-day lockdown will begin on Friday, restricting all outside movement except to buy necessary items. The full lockdown replaces a partial overnight curfew from 9 am to 6 pm. Friday will also be the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
The NCDC said that the outbreaks were mostly centered in Tripoli, the port of Misrata and in the southern desert town of Sebha.
Authorities in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, have also imposed restrictions on movement but, have not yet ordered a full lockdown as there are fewer cases confirmed there.
As of Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases in Libya was 3,222 with 76 deaths and 596 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker. On Tuesday, the country reported 190 new cases, the biggest daily increase since the first case was detected in March.
The chances of coronavirus spreading in Libya are high as the country’s health system is still struggling after nearly a decade of chaos and war that has fragmented the state, destroyed infrastructure and left many people living in crowded conditions after fleeing their homes.
Libyan eastern commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces launched attacks on the Libyan capital of Tripoli and other parts of northwestern Libya since April 2019. More than 1,000 people have died in the attacks so far.
