Jul 11, 2021 - 16:33
Libya has closed its border with Tunisia and shut down education for two weeks to monitor the epidemiological situation carefully. [Photo: Getty]
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has issued a warning about the recent rapid increase in the number of daily COVID-19 infections in Libya.
Libya recently recorded 1,710 cases in less than 24 hours, a surprisingly high figure for the north African country after months of slowly declining case numbers following the start of the national vaccination campaign.
According to UNICEF, the total number of infections in Libya has risen to just over 200,000, with an additional 3,200 deaths. A low figure when compared to neighbouring countries like Tunisia and Egypt, but still a high number when considering the country’s small population of only 6 million people.
Saturday, 10 July, 2021 - 06:45
The Minister of Health and Director of the National Center for Disease Control during a previous visit to the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia. (NCDC) Cairo - Jamal Gawhar
Libya s new unity government on Thursday announced it was closing its borders with Tunisia for a week and suspending classes at schools and universities for two weeks, as Libya grapples with a rise in coronavirus infections.
The National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 1,710 new COVID-19 cases. The tally exceeded 200,000 of whom 180,000 recovered, while 3,200 died.
Member of the Epidemiology Committee at the NCDC Tarek Jibril attributed the increase in cases to the outbreak of the coronavirus delta variant in neighboring countries.
Thursday, 13 May, 2021 - 07:15
Part of an awareness campaign in the Jafara Plain on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (National Center for Disease Control) Cairo - Jamal Jawhar
Libyan officials voiced concern over a possible hike in COVID-19 infections during Eid al-Fitr after the country reported a decline in cases.
Member of the Epidemiology Committee at the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Tarek Jibril urged all citizens to comply with health-preventive measures during the holiday.
He also said it was unlikely for the country to register the Indian coronavirus strain amid the current imposed measures.
In televised statements on Tuesday, Jibril said the country is recording an average of 315 daily coronavirus cases.
Photo: 123rf
University of Otago has just released research showing the number of people diagnosed in New Zealand with HIV halved between 2016 and 2020.
Last year, 95 people were first diagnosed with the sexually transmitted disease in New Zealand, compared with 196 in 2016.
Gay Men s Sexual Health Research director Peter Saxon from the University of Auckland said prevention could get that number to zero - so the fight against HIV continues.
The Covid-19 pandemic might have led to a drop in testing last year, revealing fewer positive cases, Saxon said.
The AIDS Epidemiology Group at the University of Otago said it was encouraging to see the number of people diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand fall in 2020 to the lowest level in 20 years.