The National Center for Disease Control of Libya reported 71 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 1117.

In a statement earlier on Monday, the center said it received a total of 672 suspected samples, of which 601 tested negative and 71 positive distributed as following:

• Sabha: 18 cases
• Tripoli: 26 cases
• Misrata: 7 cases
• Zlitin: 16 cases
• Benghazi: 3 cases
• Ajdabia: 1 case

The total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Libya so far is 1117, including 269 recoveries and 34 deaths, the center said.

Libyan authorities closed the country’s borders, closed schools and mosques, banned public gatherings, and imposed curfew in order to prevent infections.

The city of Sabha, the largest southern Libyan city, is the epicenter of COVID-19 in Libya, reporting more than half of the number of confirmed cases in the country.