Libyan Officials Warn of Virus Surge during Eid al-Fitr Celebrations

Part of an awareness campaign in the Jafara Plain on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (National Center for Disease Control)
Part of an awareness campaign in the Jafara Plain on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (National Center for Disease Control)
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Libyan Officials Warn of Virus Surge during Eid al-Fitr Celebrations

Part of an awareness campaign in the Jafara Plain on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (National Center for Disease Control)
Part of an awareness campaign in the Jafara Plain on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (National Center for Disease Control)

Libyan officials voiced concern over a possible hike in COVID-19 infections during Eid al-Fitr after the country reported a decline in cases.

Member of the Epidemiology Committee at the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Tarek Jibril urged all citizens to comply with health-preventive measures during the holiday.

He also said it was unlikely for the country to register the Indian coronavirus strain amid the current imposed measures.

In televised statements on Tuesday, Jibril said the country is recording an average of 315 daily coronavirus cases.

“This rate is considered low compared to the past months,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bader al-Din al-Najjar, the NCDC Head, called on citizens to adhere to the imposed precautionary measures by maintaining social distancing. He also urged shop owners to prevent customers from gathering and oblige them to wear masks.

According to the NCDC, Libya registered 181,000 infections, including 16,7043 recoveries and 3,000 deaths.

Almost 100,000 citizens have received the first COVID-19 shot, said Najjar, pointing out that the national inoculation drive is proceeding “at an excellent pace, and will include all municipalities after Eid al-Fitr.”

Najjar further reassured people about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, citing researches published in major international medical reports.

He affirmed that the first dose provides the needed protection to prevent death or dangerous complications from the virus.

The Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Campaign to support social mobilization and raise awareness on the COVID-19 vaccination, which was launched by the UNICEF in coordination with the NCDC earlier in April, is proceeding as scheduled, the Center said.



G7 Foreign Ministers Say 'Now is the Time' for Lebanon Ceasefire

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Ashrafieh, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Ashrafieh, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
TT

G7 Foreign Ministers Say 'Now is the Time' for Lebanon Ceasefire

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Ashrafieh, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Ashrafieh, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Foreign Ministers from the G7 democracies on Tuesday upped the pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying "now is the time to conclude a diplomatic settlement."

In a draft statement at the end of a two-day meeting in Italy, the G7 ministers urged Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to Palestinians, and condemned increasing settler violence in the West Bank, Reuters reported.

The ministers also condemned recent attack on the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and expressed their support for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying it plays a "vital role."