On Wednesday, Head of the International Health Care Office at the Ras Jedir border post with Tunisia, Mokhtar Al-Mansouri, confirmed that the crossing will reopen on Thursday, following strict precautionary measures.
In press statements, Al-Mansouri said that the crossing will be open to humanitarian cases, ambulances, and commercial traffic.
He confirmed that a special protocol will be followed, and protective measures will be taken. This includes wearing masks and social distancing, in addition to having a negative PCR test, no older than 48-hours.
On Tuesday, a decision issued by the Libyan Prime Minister’s Office said, “with reference to the committee monitoring the situation of Libyan nationals trapped in Tunisia, and based on its recommendation, it was decided to work on reopening the land and air crossings between the two countries.”
The text of the decision referred to, “the need to work on reopening air travel between the two countries starting on Thursday, while taking all necessary measures related to combating the coronavirus.”
On 8 July, Libya closed its land and air borders with Tunisia, due to the spread of COVID-19 and the deterioration of the healthcare situation in the neighbouring country.
The decision came as a precautionary step due to what the government described as, “the exacerbation of the epidemiological situation in the State of Tunisia, and the increase in the rate of infections with the Indian Delta variant.”
Many Libyans travel to Tunisia to receive medical treatment, particularly after Libya descended into chaos after the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.