Tunisia to lift curfew as pandemic eases

Tunis: Following a drop in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases, Tunisian President Kais Saied has decided to lift the night curfew from Saturday, an official statement said.

“After consulting the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 pandemic management operations room, the President has decided to lift the ban on movement of people and vehicles on the entire territory, from Saturday at midnight,” Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

It insisted on the importance of respecting the application of a series of procedures, in particular the obligation to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate in order to be able to participate in demonstrations and gatherings, as well as to enter closed and open spaces.

On the other hand, the reception capacity has been increased to 50 per cent from 30 per cent for both closed and open spaces, with the need to apply a physical distance of at least one metre, as well as other approved health protocols.

Wearing a mask is compulsory in all public places and transportation vehicles for all the people over six years old, according to the statement.

A proof of full vaccination will be mandatory for arrivals from other countries to participate in all types of gatherings.

Since the start of the national vaccination campaign on March 13, a total of 3,357,086 Tunisians have completed their COVID inoculation, the Ministry of Health said.

Tunisia has so far registered a total of 703,059 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24,676 deaths.