Tunisia is going through "the worst health crisis in its history".

It is in these terms that the Tunisian Prime Minister, Hichem Mechichi, announced, Friday, May 7, a total confinement from May 9 to 16 for the holidays of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of fasting. of ramadan.

The head of government warned that any further increase in Covid-19 cases could overwhelm health facilities.

From Sunday, "Tunisians are encouraged to leave their homes only for what is strictly necessary," said government spokeswoman Hasna Ben Slimane, adding that travel will be prohibited between regions and a cover-up. fire from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. will be imposed. 

Announcement that caused a crowd in train stations and bus stations in Tunis, according to a journalist from France 24 on the spot, residents of the capital rushing to return to their families for Eid al-Fitr, one of the the most important religious festivals in the country.

Only essential food stores will remain open during the same period.

"Mosques, markets and non-essential businesses will be closed under the new restrictions," the prime minister told reporters.

Schools have been closed since mid-April, and only classes with exams returned to work this week, but they will remain closed all week.

At the end of April, the authorities had already tried to stem the influx of the diaspora of Tunisians from abroad who traditionally return for the end of Ramadan holidays, by imposing a quarantine on travelers in hotels imposed by the Ministry of Health. .

Insufficient measures. 

Already under curfew since September, this is the first time since the confinement of March 2020 that the country has imposed such drastic health measures, apart from a confinement of a few days in mid-January which had triggered clashes in the capital and in some large cities of the country.

Saturated hospitals

A decision that the head of government justifies by the health emergency.

"Healthcare facilities are at risk of collapsing," Hichem Mechichi said, adding that doctors were at maximum strain, with around 100 deaths from Covid-19 per day.

More than 500 people are currently in intensive care, an unprecedented number that has forced doctors to set up field hospitals.

The North African country is also struggling to meet oxygen demand and health officials have warned in recent days of a risk of a shortage.

Tunisia, which adopted strict and early measures in March 2020 and recorded only 50 deaths until the summer of 2020, is now overwhelmed by a particularly virulent third wave of Covid-19.

The country deplores more than 300,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 11,200 deaths, out of a population of twelve million inhabitants.

Alarming figures which rank it among the world's worst scores of deaths due to the coronavirus, reported to the population.

"No means" for longer confinement

After a historic decline in GDP to -8.9% in 2020, Hichem Mechichi had estimated several times in recent weeks that the country "did not have the means" to repeat the restrictions put in place in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic.

After years of economic gloom, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the small North African country to its knees: its external debt has reached the symbolic bar of 100 billion dinars (about 30 billion euros), or 100 % of Gross Domestic Product.

Heavily in debt, the country has turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the fourth time in a decade and is reportedly negotiating a three-year deal.

The IMF said Thursday to be "ready" to come to the aid of Tunisia, according to Gerry Rice, the spokesman of the institution while meetings were held this week in Washington with the Tunisian authorities with a view to obtaining an assistance program.

With AFP 

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