Libya's health authorities will purchase 2.8 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, the director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in statements to the Anadolu news agency on Friday.

Badr Al-Din Al-Najjar confirmed that they signed a contract with the World Health Organization (WHO) in this regard, indicating that the deal had cost the Libyan state 42 million dinars, equivalent to 9.4 million US dollars.

Al-Najjar pointed out that this will facilitate Libya's access to a licensed vaccine approved by the WHO.

He also disclosed that they are studying to purchase the vaccine from the British AstraZeneca company due to its easy storage, but no final decision has been rendered yet, according to Al-Najjar.

Meanwhile, Suleiman Abu Sriwil, head of the Supreme Advisory Committee for Vaccinations in Libya, said that the advantage of signing a contract with the WHO is that it guarantees the purchase of a licensed and safe vaccine.

Libya has registered 461 fresh Covid-19 infections on Friday, pushing the total count to 97,653 cases, including 1,415 fatalities and 68,289 recoveries.