Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Friday a general containment of the country, which begins on Sunday, the government said, after Tunisia recorded an increase in the number of patients suffering from the new coronavirus. The confinement will be in force from Sunday morning until April 4, the presidency of the government said in a statement on Facebook, while specifying that work will continue in the vital sectors. During the day, everyone must stay at home, and only go out in cases of "extreme necessity" , said the president during a televised address.
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Tunisia, which has already closed its maritime, land and air borders, has been under curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time (Wednesday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Paris time) since Wednesday. Travel from one region to another is also prohibited unless "legitimate reason" , said Kais Saied. The hypermarkets will be closed but small shops will be supplied, he said.
The president also decreed the closure of industrial sites where there are a significant number of workers. He called for an internationally coordinated solution within the framework of the United Nations. The Presidency of the government has indicated that vital sectors, such as agriculture and agrifood, health, security, communication or energy, will continue to work. An aid program for the most vulnerable is under study, the same source said.
The country, which has done 690 tests, has 54 identified cases and one death from the new coronavirus.
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