Attachments
Highlights
- Under WHO’s transmission scenarios, Libya remains classified as “community transmission”. Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Libya on 24 March 2020, a total of 24 144 people have been infected with the virus (a 65 % increase since WHO’s last situation update). Of this number, 10 509 people remain actively infected, 13 252 people have recovered, and 383 people have died. The national case fatality rate (CFR) is 1.59%. The municipalities reporting large numbers of confirmed cases include Tripoli (10 265), Misrata (2921), Zliten (15 557), Sebha (1155), and Benghazi (893).
- Thus far, a total of 180 990 specimens have been tested. This number includes 120 352 in Tripoli, 21 244 in Misrata, 16 801 in Benghazi, 8585 in Sebha and 7051 in Zliten.
- WHO continues to experience delays obtaining the rapid release of its emergency and humanitarian supplies from Tripoli. It has raised the problem repeatedly with the Prime Minister, the head of the COVID scientific committee and, more recently, the Minister of the Interior, to no avail. Urgently needed items have been blocked in customs since 26 July 2020.
- A large shipment of oxygen concentrators arrived in Misrata on 4 September. The supplies have been transferred from customs to WHO warehouses, but WHO has not yet received customs clearance and approval to distribute them.
- During the WHO Representative’s visit to Benghazi the week of 29 August 2020, the authorities in Benghazi promised that future COVID-19 supplies arriving in the east would be released in less than 48 hours. Three shipments of COVID-19 supplies totalling 43 tonnes arrived in Benghazi on 7 September and were rapidly released for distribution across the country.