As 649 new cases were registered on Friday, Libya’s total Coronavirus cases reach 17,094. This brings the total active cases to 14,797, recoveries to 2,025 and deaths to 272, Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports.

The exponential rise in cases has raised alarm within Libya as well as with the World Health Organization and UNSMIL.

In her latest report on Libya to the UN Security Council yesterday, UNSMIL head Stephanie Williams said ‘‘The immiseration of the Libyan people is further compounded by the debilitating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which appears to be spiralling out of control. The number of confirmed cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks, with 15,156 cases and 250 recorded deaths as at 1 September.