Libya’s tally of COVID-19 cases has surpassed China, reaching nearly 88,000 according to the country’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Beijing has reported 82,933 cases, and 4,633 deaths since the start of the outbreak last December.
With twelve new deaths on Tuesday, Libya’s death toll has risen to 1,255, according to the NCDC’s statement. The centre added that it had received a total of 5,500 suspected samples, of which 889 tested positive. 474 recoveries were also recorded yesterday, bringing the total to 57,837.
Last week, Dr. Badr Al-Din Al-Najjar, the Director of the NCDC, said that the situation is “getting worse and the cases increase every day in the country”, according to media reports. He also stressed the need to impose a nationwide lockdown in case the current pandemic continues.
Since the first case was reported in March, Libyan authorities have taken a series of precautionary measures, including closing the country’s borders, shutting down schools and mosques, banning public gatherings and imposing a curfew.