TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia said on Friday it recorded 4,170 new confirmed coronavirus cases, a record since the start of the pandemic.
Tunisia on Thursday imposed a four-day national lockdown and closed schools until Jan. 24 to combat a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
Other measures included rotating staffing in state jobs to reduce people in offices and transport, longer curfew hours and the removal of all chairs from cafes.
Coronavirus cases have been rising fast in Tunisia, which had managed to contain the virus last year. They have now reached 175,065 cases and 5,528 deaths.
With intensive care units in most public hospitals full and the sharp rise of infections and deaths, officials suggested extending the lockdown for at least two more weeks.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
