All of Algeria’s borders will remain closed until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced Sunday evening, faced with an increase in contamination.
—
The head of state, who chaired a meeting of the council of ministers, ordered “the closure of the land, sea and air borders to be closed until God frees us from this scourge,” according to a statement issued by the official press agency APS.
—
Algeria is however part of a proposed list of 14 countries whose travelers would be admitted to the European Union on July 1. The EU has, however, postponed its final decision on this list, due to the lack of agreement between Europeans.
The borders of Algeria have been closed since March 19.
–
Three weeks after the first deconfinement measures, Algeria is in the grip of an outbreak of foci of infection, in particular in the east (Sétif) and in the south-east of the country, due according to the authorities to non-compliance with prevention rules.
Some 305 new cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in 24 hours, a new daily record for this most affected country in the Maghreb, according to the official report published on Sunday.
Mr. Tebboune denounced “the behavior of certain citizens who want to make others believe that the Covid-19 is only a myth with political aims”, an accusation targeting the popular anti-regime movement, the “Hirak”, when the latter is trying to re-mobilize in the provinces. All demonstrations have been strictly prohibited since mid-March.
The Algerian president ordered “the toughening of sanctions against all offenders”.
The wearing of a sanitary mask has been compulsory since May 24 and offenders are sentenced to heavy fines.
Tebboune also urged Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerrad to take steps to “break the chain of contamination and contain the outbreaks of epidemics,” the statement said.
“It is the result of a relaxation and a kind of carelessness in particular in certain wilayas (prefectures) like Sétif and Biskra”, declared to AFP Thursday the president of the Council the Order of doctors Mohamed Bekkat.
Algeria has recorded 13,273 cases of contamination and nearly 900 deaths since the registration of the first case on February 25
–
