Tunisia to tighten restrictions starting April 9
Prime minister excludes the possibility of imposing a nationwide lockdown.
JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (ANA) – The Tunisian government has announced restrictions that will be imposed on April 9 until the end of the month as the country contends with its third wave of the coronavirus, according to ANSAmed.
ANSAmed reported on Thursday that the restrictions will include a daily curfew from 7pm to 5am, while local governors will be permitted to apply targeted lockdowns in areas that are known as Covid-19 hot spots.
Other measures include a ban on all public and private gatherings, the closure of weekly markets and a five-day mandatory quarantine for those arriving from abroad.
The publication also reported that the North African country’s Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi said that 80% of intensive-care beds are occupied and 50% of ventilators are in use.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hichem El Mechichi has excluded the possibility of imposing a nationwide lockdown despite the spike in coronavirus cases, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
“It is not possible to impose a general lockdown in Tunisia, because of the socio-economic difficulties,” he was quoted as saying on Thursday.
He emphasised the need to respect health protocols, especially social distancing and wearing of masks, and called on all citizens to register on the Evax vaccination platform to receive their jabs.
According to Alarabiya News, the health ministry said in a statement that just over 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived in the country in March.
In its latest update, Tunisia has reported 266,827 coronavirus cases, with 222,461 recoveries and 9,136 Covid-19-related deaths.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher