Tunesien lockert den Lockdown

Auch in Tunesien werden einige Restriktionen aufgehoben. Das nordafrikanische Land hat die Corona-Krise bislang recht gut überstanden, berichtet Al-Monitor:

As global coronavirus cases began to climb in March, Tunisia had reason for alarm. Located just across the Mediterranean Sea from Italy — an early virus hot spot — and host to thousands of international travelers and residents, the North African country feared it could be the next to suffer a major wave of infections that would push its fragile health care system to a breaking point.

But now, some six weeks after lockdown measures were imposed, Tunisia seems to have kept the virus at bay, recording fewer and fewer new infections and readying to open back up.

“Despite a health system weakened by structural problems, Tunisia was able to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in an exemplary manner,” Mohamed Ghedira, an anesthesiologist in the coastal town of Monastir, told Al-Monitor. “Even with its limited financial resources, there has been a strong determination of medical and paramedical staff and a tremendous mobilization of civil society.”

With just 327 active COVID-19 cases as of May 10, Tunisia’s rate of infections is far lower than most European and North African states. Algeria and Morocco each have at least 2,500 active cases, as well as a higher number of cases per capita, while nearby Italy, Spain and France are much harder hit, recording between 50,000 and 100,000 active cases.

The relative success of Tunisia, which eased its lockdown on May 4, was largely due to early preventative measures, medical professionals say, including a near shutdown of international travel, mandatory quarantines for those entering the country and a strict nationwide lockdown and curfew.