The Tripoli Ministry of Health also announced the establishment of a quarantine centre at Mitiga airport which it said would open in the coming days.
The centre is equipped with mobile intensive care rooms, 12 rooms each with a bathroom, two detection rooms, an analysis lab, an observation room, a large room equipped with 30 beds for suspected cases, three offices, a prayer room a cafe and a laundry.
Renewed bombardments were reported by both sides in Libya Today after a pause in fighting that followed the main combatants agreeing to a ceasefire because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The United Nations last week backed a call for the eastern-based Libyan National Army and the internationally recognised government in the capital Tripoli to accept a truce and both sides agreed.
Today, the LNA and residents of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, said Grad rockets fired by pro-Tripoli forces had landed in the town.
In Tripoli, local officials said an LNA missile landing near the only functioning airport, Mitiga, killed two people and wounded another.
Libya has not yet confirmed any cases of the coronavirus, but international aid agencies and local health officials have warned that its conflict will make combating an outbreak very difficult.
Libya’s internationally recognized government, led by Faiez Serraj and based in Tripoli, declared a general country-wide curfew which commenced today. The curfew is from 6pm until 6am.
The Ministry of Interior warned that anyone who violates quarantine measures or the curfewcould be jailed up to six months or fined up of 200 LYD.
“Those who violate any legitimate order issued by the authorities in order to preserve public safety and health will face a punishment of one month,” the ministry stated on Sunday.
The curfew also closes all mosques at all prayer times, educational institutions, cafes, restaurants, events halls, clubs, entertainment centres and commercial outlets. It also bans funerals, weddings and mass transport but makes exceptions for food companies and outlets, bakeries, petrol stations – during non-curfew hours.
However, It excludes all necessary activities such as state, security and health institutions, pharmacies, environmental activities, electricity, energy, communications and transport.
It also bans funerals, weddings and mass transport but makes exceptions for food companies and outlets, bakeries, petrol stations – during non-curfew hours.
State institutions that are needed for life to continue must operate with minimum staffing and prevent large gatherings of staff.
In a statement issued today, Sharara Oil Services Company announced that sufficient fuel supplies are available in the company’s depots in quantities that meet citizens’ needs, urging consumers not to be drawn behind “rumors”.
Today, in a statement to “Sada” economic newspaper, an official source confirmed that the Chairman of Presidential Council Faiez Al Serraj asked the governer of the Central Bank of Libya, Seddik Al Kebir, to pay all the salaries according to the Bank Statements as well as disbursements transferred to the central bank from the Ministry of Finance for “January, February.”
The correspondence also included the immediate launch of the system of provisions for food and medical supplies, in addition to raw materials for food and pharmaceutical industries. Moreover, it emphasized the necessity of taking an urgent action implement the 2020 financial arrangements.
Yesterday, MARITIME BULLETIN reported that Chemical tanker GULF PETROLEUM 4 suffered explosion in engine room at around 16:30 UTC in vicinity 32 00N 015 55E, off Libyan coast, Mediterranean,
The News Agency Added that the number of crew injured, understood in need of medical assistance is Unknown. Tanker understood to be disabled, drifting. She was engaged in operations in Gulf of Sidra since Mars 16, after leaving Benghazi Libya.
Today, the Agency updated that the Tanker arrived at Benghazi on Mars 13 from UAE, allegedly with cargo of jet oil for Libyan National Army (LNA), adversary of Libyan Government of National Accord LGNA.
The Tanker left Benghazi on Mars 16, went off AIS radars on Mars 18, being in Gulf of Sidra, and reappeared on Mars 22, issuing distress signal.
LGNA in its statement said, that tanker was seized by LGNA in the evening Mars 22, to be taken to LGNA-controlled port for investigation.
As of morning Mars 23, tanker was already in Misrata waters. Not clear what happened, and whether there was an explosion or not.
The Interior Minister of Interim Government in eastern Libya, Ibrahim Bushanaf, imposed a full curfew for 10 days starting from Wednesday in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, though medicine can be delivered by telephone if necessary, the military said today.
In a statement issued today to “Sada” newspaper, the head of the General Union of Libyan Students, and the director of Benghazi Youth Hostel, Abdul Hamid Al-Abar, confirmed that he addressed the Prime Minister of the eastern government, Abdullah Al-Thanni, in order to approve the use of the hostle as self-isolation and quarantine space.
Abdul Hamid Al-Abar stressed that this came as a preventive measure to combat the outbreak of Coronavirus in Libya.
The delegated Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Republic of China has agreed to support Libya in confronting the new epidemic by providing five experts to closely identify the Libyan situation through reaching out to the National Centre for Disease Control.
It should be noted that the Chargé d’Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Libya noted that his country has already provided testing instruments for diagnosing epidemics to several African countries, including Libya, but stressed that precautionary measures must be implemented in earnest, praising the Libyan authorities’ efforts in this regard.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Al-Qablawi, said the immediate requirements that the Centre needs were sent to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in order to provide them urgently.
Quoting Africa Intelligence, the united nation support mission in Libya, which has been headed provisionally since march 11 by stephanie Williams, is by no means out of the woods in its efforts to audit the Tripoli based central bank of Libya and its eastern rival.
Africa Intelligence stated that the accounting giant Deloitte has not yet been able to start work at the two institutions. It has run straight into a refusal on the part of the Tripoli based audit bureau to allow it to carry out its mission, adding that the bureau, which is headed by ahmed shakshak, argues that the audit should be carried out by Libyan company.
The Big Four accounting firms; Deloitte, PwC, Ernst&young, and KPMG- feared just this sort of problem and UNSMIL had to work hard to persuade Deloitte to take on the contract (MC3346), the news site stated.
It was also pointed out that the delay in carrying out the audit gives Tripoli CBL governor Al Seddik Omar al Kabir a stay of execution. Washington and the international community generally have been trying to speed uo his departure (Africa intelligence focus 30/10/19),
The auditing of the two central banks is a necessary precondition of their reunification.
Moreover, the group of economic experts supervised by UNSMIL is due to meet in the next few days, moreover, to discuss how the reunification of the two Libyan financial institutions should be carried out.