Libya transfers 200 stranded Egyptians to border crossing over coronavirus

CAIRO – 6 May 2020: The Interior Ministry of the Libyan interim government started to secure the movement of stranded Egyptian nationals to the Musaid border crossing in eastern Libya, which links the country to Egypt.

In a video obtained by Egypt Today, a Libyan Interior Ministry official said the authorities secured the movement of 200 Egyptians to the border crossing. He added that a security force will be tasked with gathering stranded Egyptians in Al Uqaylah city to be transferred to the Musaid crossing.

السلطات الليبية تنقل عشرات المصريين العالقين إلى منفذ "امساعد" البرى

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Since the coronavirus crisis started, EgyptAir, the Egyptian flag carrier, has operated many exceptional flights to several countries, including the US, UK, Maldives, Kuwait and Kenya, to bring back stranded Egyptians abroad.

On April 22nd, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi noted that around 3,500 Egyptians are stranded abroad over coronavirus, affirming that authorities are committed to bringing them back despite "hard circumstances".

The air bridge between Kuwait and Cairo to return stranded Egyptians in Kuwait continues on Wednesday for the second day in a row as some 450 Egyptians left on board three flights of the Kuwaiti Airways.

Each flight includes 150 passengers who have been transported by buses from special shelters to Kuwaiti International Airport ahead of their flight time.

Egypt recorded, Tuesday 388 new coronavirus cases and 16 deaths, which raises the total infected patients of COVID-19 to 7201 and the total deaths to 452 according to Health Minister’s daily briefing.

Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed added that 98 patients, were discharged from the hospital after being confirmed that they are completely recovered from the viruses, this also raises the number of recovered cases to 1730 out of 2224 who had been retested for the virus and had received negative results.