Algeria records record increase in new cases of coronavirus

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Algeria recorded 240 new cases of contamination between Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June, according to the Ministry of Health. An unprecedented peak which comes three weeks after the country, the most affected in the Maghreb by the pandemic, decided on its first deconfinement measures. The country now has 12,685 people infected and 885 deaths from Covid-19, according to the scientific committee monitoring the evolution of the pandemic.

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These 240 new infections are the largest increase recorded in a day in Algeria since the announcement of the first case in late February. The previous peak was almost two months ago, when 199 cases were recorded on April 28 .

According to statistics from the ministerial committee monitoring the epidemic, this new outbreak of contamination particularly affects the east and south-east of the country.

The population " does not respect barrier gestures " outside Algiers

The fault of a "  relaxation  " and "  a kind of carelessness  " of the population, said the president of the Council of the Order of physicians Mohamed Bekkat. In particular according to him in the prefectures of Sétif and Biskra.

The doctor notes a difference in behavior between the inhabitants of the capital Algiers and the rest of the country, where the population "  does not respect barrier gestures  " since part of the strictest containment measures were lifted, he said. .

However, this lifting was very gradual . Part of the shops reopened on June 7 in Algeria, then part of urban transport resumed activity on June 14. But the curfew has been maintained in 29 of the country's 48 prefectures, including that of Algiers. And that at least until June 29.

The State must bring a " strong reaction ", according to the president of the Medical Association

Wearing a mask remains compulsory, however, and its absence is punishable by heavy fines.

Faced with this spike in new cases, the president of the Order of Physicians calls on the State for a "  strong reaction  ", so that all the efforts made so far to stem the epidemic are not in vain.

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• Algeria
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine