Covid-19: closed for more than a year, Algeria will reopen its borders "at the beginning of June"

Since March 17, 2020, it had almost cut itself off from the world and in particular from France where many of its nationals are installed and are growing impatient.

Algeria will partially reopen its borders "from the beginning of June", after fourteen months of closure due to the pandemic.

In any case, this is what the presidency announced on Sunday, after the weekly Council of Ministers.

"After the presentation of the recommendations (...), the Council of Ministers approved proposals in favor of a partial opening of the Algerian land and air borders from the beginning of June", according to the presidency.

This reopening will begin with "a plan of five daily flights to and from the airports of Algiers, Constantine and Oran", the largest cities in the country, from June 1.

Is it five flights for each airport or five for the three cities?

The speculations were rife on social networks.

And what about the sea connections from the port of Marseille, also suspended on March 17, 2020?

Read alsoReopening of borders: soon the end of an ordeal lasting more than a year for Algerians in France?

The prolonged border closures sparked protests, if not anger, within the Algerian diaspora, particularly in France.

There were 251 air services each week between the two countries, according to airport statistics.

Questions

Are these special or regular flights.

The press release does not specify "if these five flights will be provided by the national airline Air Algeria or if other foreign companies will be affected by the resumption of services", underlines the site Visa Algeria.

What destinations will these flights serve?

The Presidency did not say a word about it.

All these elements concerning the organization of flights will be specified in a week, according to the Council of Ministers.

The health protocol was detailed.

The Scientific Committee responsible for the development of the coronavirus pandemic in Algeria gave the green light on Thursday, under "strict conditions", to the return of Algerians stranded abroad.

Read alsoAn endless stopover for six Algerians still stranded at Roissy: "They can't take it anymore"

"People entering Algeria, nationals or foreigners, will have to present, on their arrival, a PCR test of less than 36 hours, and undergo tests that we consider reliable", explained for his part the Minister of Health, Abderrahmane Benbouzid.

“Negative (tested) subjects will be allowed entry and will be informed of the recommendations and instructions to be followed.

Positive subjects will, for their part, be subject to confinement for 10 days, ”according to the minister.

The cost of containment and screening on arrival will be borne by visitors.

Which exams for which countries?

Finally, travelers from countries where variants are very common "will be subject to other examinations," he added, without further clarification.

"We must gradually deconfin while always keeping in mind that the virus is there among us, that it is still circulating and only asks that we let our guard down to regain the hair of the beast," said on Sunday keeps Doctor Mohamed Bekkat Berkani, member of the Scientific Committee, interviewed on public radio.

Algeria currently records less than 200 cases of contamination per day. Some 3,375 deaths have been recorded in Algeria since the registration of the first case of Covid-19 on February 25, 2020, according to the Ministry of Health. More than 125,000 cases have been officially declared in the most populous Maghreb country (44 million inhabitants), where a curfew is imposed in 19 of the 58 wilayas (prefectures).