Photo: John S. on Flickr
May 14, 2020: Arrival of the team of medical experts sent by China
The team of experts sent by the Chinese Government to Algeria to help it fight the Coronavirus outbreak arrived today at the airport of Houari Boumediene, in the wilaya of Algiers.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 15, 2020: Failure to comply with containment: More than 12,000 vehicles impounded
More than 12,000 vehicles have been impounded during the period from 20 March to 10 May 2020, for failure to comply with the containment measures decided in the context of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, said Thursday a press release from the National Security services.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 15, 2020: Algeria-Morocco – Tensions in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic
Comments made to a Moroccan diplomat in a video that went viral triggered the anger of the Algerian Foreign Ministry. A reaction that has not yet elicited any official reaction from Rabat. This new outbreak of fever between neighbouring countries comes in a context of heightened tension since the election in Algeria of Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Since then, political figures and the media – both Algerian and Moroccan – have been sending verbal jousts and grievances to each other. Against the backdrop of these disputes, the conflict in the Sahara. Although they seem to be commonplace, these episodes have never led to any major slip-ups. Despite reciprocal accusations, after the election of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in December 2019, Moroccan King Mohammed VI called for a “new page” to be turned in relations between the two countries for the much-desired construction of the Greater Maghreb. A call that has so far remained unanswered …
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 16, 2020: No total confinement on Eid el Fitr days
The Head of State, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on Saturday chaired a meeting of the High Security Council devoted to assessing the situation in the country in the light of recent developments concerning the Coronavirus pandemic.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 16, 2020: Manufacture of protective masks: GETEX exceeds targets
The Ministry of Industry announces that the public Textiles and Leather Group (GETEX) has exceeded its objectives by producing more than 3 million protective masks per month (compared to 2 million masks previously announced) and more than 4,000 protective suits reserved for doctors and nurses.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 17, 2020: The President of the Council of the Order of Physicians and member of the National Commission for Monitoring the Evolution of the Coronavirus Epidemic Mohamed Bekkat Berkani, gave an update on the epidemiological situation in Algeria
Containment has given good results and has contributed to the stability of the balance of contaminations, said Dr. Berkani, stressing the need to coexist with the coronavirus in the future. For Dr. Berkani, the wearing of masks, social distancing and other barrier measures have become more necessary than ever to control the spread of the coronavirus.
For more information (in English), please consult the following link.
May 17, 2020: Emotion and controversy in Algeria after the death of a woman doctor who was 8 months pregnant
Dr. Boudissa died, along with the child she was carrying, for not being allowed to take the maternity leave she requested. A presidential decree, aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19, stipulates that “pregnant women and women raising children, as well as people with chronic diseases and those with medical vulnerabilities, are considered as priority candidates for exceptional leave”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 18, 2020: No reopening of mosques after Eid el Fitr
A national campaign to disinfect and sterilize mosques was launched on Monday as part of preventive measures against the Coronavirus epidemic. The Minister of Religious Affairs and Wakfs, Youcef Belmehdi, made it clear that this operation “does not mean the opening of mosques after Eid, but to explain that as long as we respect the preventive measures, we will reduce the duration of the containment”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 18, 2020: Hirak leader wants to revive the protest movement after the coronavirus
“My freedom will not be complete until the release of the other prisoners. There are still activists in prison. We must remain mobilised,” Abdelouahab Fersaoui, an opponent and active activist in the Hirak protest movement, told the media outside El Harrach prison in Algiers. Many ‘hirakists’ and analysts fear that the Algerian government – which practices the policy of carrot and stick – will take advantage of the COVID-19 disease to try to bury once and for all the popular movement that has shaken it for a year. Despite the pandemic that has forced the ‘Hirak’ to suspend its demonstrations since mid-March, repression continues to target opponents, journalists and independent media as well as young Internet users. According to the latest figures from the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees (CNLD), a support association, around 50 people are currently being held in Algerian prisons on charges related to ‘Hirak’.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 18, 2020: Algerian satirical site “El Manchar” disappears under pressure from the government
After five years of existence, the satirical site ‘El Manchar’ suspends its activity to everyone’s surprise. Soberly and, for once, without laughing, it invites readers “to a better Algeria. Or not. “The end of this famous site immediately caused an immediate reaction. For Liberté, this decision to suspend is the direct consequence of a “campaign of pressure and repression that hunts down free expression. For Nazim Baya, the founder of El Manchar, explained this closure in remarks reported by the newspaper El-Watan: “We have not been censored or blocked by the authorities. This decision was taken by the editorial staff. The climate of repression of freedoms, the imprisonment of citizens for their activities on social networks has led us to reflect on the risks we run.”
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 18, 2020: This is how much the Coronavirus crisis cost Algeria.
The Minister of Finance, Abderrahmane Raouya, on Monday unveiled the amount of financial allocations dedicated to the fight and prevention against the coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19). During a hearing session before the Finance and Budget Committee of the National People’s Assembly (NPA), the minister indicated that the amount has reached more than 70 billion Da, including 20 billion Da allocated to professional categories who have lost their source of income due to the pandemic.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 18, 2020: Schengen Visa – TLS Contact Algeria resumes service
Almost two months out of service due to the coronavirus, TLScontact Algeria is gradually resuming service. The operator in charge of the collection of Schengen visa applications announces the resumption of the return of passports from this Monday, May 18. “TLScontact informs you that from May 18, 2020, you have the possibility to receive your passport at the address of your choice by express mail with EMS and this during this period of confinement”, says the operator in a statement. The return of passports is done only via the express courier service which “covers the entire territory with the exception of the wilayas of Blida, Bechar, Illizi, Adrar and Tamanrasset”. For those whose passport is ready, they can retrieve it by paying for the express courier service at an Algeria Post office (1200 DA), and then sending “proof of payment made to the following e-mail address contact.courrier@tlscontact.com specifying the reference number of your visa application, your first and last names, your date of birth and the full address where you wish to receive your passport (all this information is essential for sending your passport)”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 19, 2020: Presidency denies the resumption of commercial flights
“Rumours have been circulating recently that Algerian commercial flights would resume next month. Indeed, these are unfounded rumors emanating from circles still hostage to practices no longer relevant in the new Algeria,” said a statement by the Presidency of the Republic on Facebook. “The opening or closing of the airspace to flights is a sovereign decision of the country’s high authorities,” the statement added.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 20, 2020: Government announces mandatory mask requirement
The government decided this Wednesday to make it “strictly obligatory” to wear masks in the public space from the first day of Eid El-Fitr.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 20, 2020: Air Algeria modifies its ticket refund policy
Air Algeria announced on Tuesday changes in its policy of refunding tickets for trips cancelled following the suspension of air routes as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic COVID-19. Impacted passengers will thus be able to make “free changes in the same class”. They will also be able to choose to obtain a credit note (EMD/Voucher issued by Air Algérie) “valid for travel until 31 March 2021 and refundable in case of non-use after that date”. Finally, they will be able to have recourse to the refund “whose processing time remains dependent on the number of applications in progress”, the airline said.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 21, 2020: Benbouzid reveals the existence of a deconfinement plan
Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid revealed on Thursday, on the airwaves of Radio Chaîne III, the existence of a deconfinement plan drawn up by his services, but kept secret as long as there are no deconfinement measures and decisions. On the other hand, he explained, “when the curve (of the number of contaminations and deaths due to coronavirus) improves, when the figures fall, when there is sufficient certainty that there are no disturbing outbreaks, deconfinement measures will be proposed”. In other words, deconfinement could only be considered “if there are favourable indications”, according to the Minister of Health.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 21, 2020: Working hours according to Aid El Fitr fixed
The working hours according to Aid El Fitr fixed:
– from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for staff working in the wilaya of Blida (under confinement from 2 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day);
– from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for staff working in the wilayas of Bejaia, Tlemcen, Tizi-Ouzou, Algiers, Sétif, Médéa, Oran, Tipasa and Ain-Defla (under confinement from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following day);
– from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. for staff working in other wilayas (under confinement from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day).
The Directorate-General for the Civil Service points out, however, that staff excluded from partial home confinement measures and those with special authorisation to travel during confinement hours remain subject to the normal working hours laid down by the regulations in force”. On May 12, the partial confinement at home to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as all the accompanying preventive measures were renewed for an additional period of fifteen (15) days, i.e. until May 29, as announced in a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s office.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
