MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2021) Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced on Friday a lockdown and a curfew effective in the country from May 9 to May 16 in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
"We have approved a lockdown that will start on May 9 and last until May 16," Mechichi said at a press conference.
The restrictions introduced by the Tunisian government will include a curfew from 07:00 p.m. to 05:00 a.m., a ban on public gatherings and celebrations, and closure of entertainment facilities and parks. Markets and shopping centers will also be closed, with the exception of grocery stores. Visits to religious buildings during the lockdown period and travel between cities will not be allowed.
The ban will affect the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday, which marks the end of the fast of Ramadan and is traditionally celebrated by mass festivities.
Tunisian authorities have previously introduced a mandatory seven-day quarantine for all those arriving in the country.
According to the country's health ministry, Tunisia registered over 317,000 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, 11,000 people died. The nationwide coronavirus vaccination campaign began in the country in mid-March using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
