The UN-backed government in Libya has imposed a 24-hour curfew for 10 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The curfew will start on Friday, Reuters news agency reports quoting a statement from the government based in the capital, Tripoli. The country has 48 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has reported one death. It recorded its first case on 24 March. All vegetable and meat markets will be closed during the curfew, according to the Anadolu agency, but bakeries and some shops will remain open.
Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Operations at al-Khadra hospital, one of the main hospitals in Tripoli, were suspended last week after it was repeatedly targeted in bombardments. The government’s supporters have blamed the attacks on forces from eastern Libya under the control of renegade General Khalifa Haftar.