Libya closes schools over coronavirus fears

Libya’s rival governments on Friday both announced a two-week closure of schools and universities over fears of the novel coronavirus arriving in the country.

The education ministries of the Tripoli-based unity government and its eastern-based rival announced in separate statements that all the country’s schools, both public and private, will be closed from Sunday.

War-torn Libya is largely divided between forces backing the Government of National Accord and those of eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar, who backs a rival administration in the country’s east.

To date, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported by either adminstration, but experts fear an outbreak could be catastrophic due to the country’s degraded health system.

Read more via MEMO