Scoop: Libyan Ex-PM Tests Positive for COVID-19 in Egypt

Mahmoud Jibril, the head of the Libyan National Forces Alliance, was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19. 

Jibril has been taken to al-Ganzori hospital, eastern Cairo, according to well-informed Libyan sources to Sada al-Balad English Website (SEENews). 

The sources stressed that the Egyptian Health Ministry had sent a letter to the hospital, urging it to take more care of Mr. Jibril.

“The Libyan politician has been at the Intensive Care Unit  (ICU) in Cairo as his condition is not so good at the moment,” the sources added. 

SEENews tried hard to get comments from the Egyptian Health Ministry's official spokesperson, but he did not answer the phone.

The 67-year-old Libyan political figure served as the interim Prime Minister of Libya for seven and a half months during the Libyan Civil War, chairing the executive board of the National Transitional Council from 5 March to 23 October 2011.

He also served as the Head of International Affairs. As of July 2012, Jibril is the head of one of the largest political parties in Libya, National Forces Alliance.

On 3 October 2011, Jibril announced that he would resign from government once the country had been "liberated". He later specified this meant the capture of Sirte from loyalist holdouts.

On 20 October 2011, Sirte was captured and Muammar Gaddafi was killed. Keeping his promise to leave at the war's end, Jibril resigned three days later. He was succeeded by Abdurrahim El-Keib on 31 October.

It’s noteworthy that, the Egyptian Health Ministry said on Thursday that 39 new coronavirus cases detected  were in contact with other positive cases.

“This upped the total number of confirmed cases to 495,” Khaled Megahed, the ministry’s spokesman said in a statement.

Egypt has recently taken strict precautionary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, including temporary closure of schools, universities, museums and archaeological sites, reducing employees and sterilizing means of transport, government offices and tourist attractions.

Moreover, the Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli further announced on Tuesday a partial curfew nationwide from 7:00 pm in the evening to 6:00 am in the morning and a complete shutdown of all entertainment places for the coming two weeks.