As coronavirus cases surge in Libya, medics and officials working with a health system wrecked by years of division and war are warning that the pandemic could be slipping out of their control.

The conflict has also restricted movement within Libya, and confirmed cases remained low during the first months of the outbreak.

Hotspots include the capital Tripoli and the large port city of Misrata in the west, and the city of Sabha in the south.

Medics say the virus is spreading because people have carried on attending large gatherings including weddings and funerals, and are not practising physical distancing.

Ahmed al-Hasi, spokesman for the state medical committee responsible for countering the virus in eastern Libya, said the public needed to take precautions, or else medical staff with limited resources would become overwhelmed.

“They need to know that the virus is real, the casualties are real, the deaths are real,” Hasi said.

In Hay al-Andalus, an upscale suburb of Tripoli, Mayor Mohamed al-Fataisi told reporters the situation had become “dangerous”, adding: “We are unable to contain the disease.”

Night-time curfews across the country are often not respected, and there is a requirement to wear face masks in public spaces in western Libya but not in the east. The two parts of the country are run by separate administrations.

A sharp fall in living standards has anyway left many struggling to afford even minor expenses, including masks.

“People are asked to wear masks and use (santitising) alcohol, but no one knows that they have not been paid salaries,” said Abduladeem Mohamed, a Tripoli taxi driver. “I prefer to buy bread for my children.”