25 October, 2020
Health crisis: Travel agencies sound the alarm
Tourist and travel agencies are sounding the alarm for the umpteenth time, following the constraint to confinement since last March.
“The sector is going through very difficult times”, the operators of this congress agreed, calling on the public authorities to “invest in a concrete way in the development of national tourism by removing bureaucratic and security obstacles”.
“The tourism sector, at a standstill for eight months, has been declared a disaster sector. The majority of agencies are in difficulty and some have declared bankruptcy. The majority of employees who had benefited from the aid of 10,000 DA granted by the state, also without pay,” said el Mehdi Brahimi, president of the federation elected at the congress in question.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Djerad regrets the slackening in the application of the barrier gestures.
In a publication posted on his social networks, the Prime Minister, Abdeleziz Djerad, expressed his regret at the laxity observed in the application of preventive measures against the coronavirus (COVID-19), including the wearing of masks, respect for social distancing and the use of hydro-alcoholic solutions.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Tizi Ouzou: Closure of a primary school after the discovery of COVID-19 cases
The members of the association of parents of pupils of the village primary school of Tazroutt in the district of Ath Bu Youcef, daira of Ain Al Hammam, wilaya of Tizi Ouzou have decided to close the same educational institution from Friday to November 4, to avoid a further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic after the registration of several cases infected by the epidemic.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
COVID-19: Government calls on citizens to be more vigilant
After consulting the scientific committee and the health authority and assessing the health situation throughout the national territory, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has appealed to citizens on the need to continue, with rigour and responsibility, the implementation of measures to consolidate the measures to prevent and fight against the spread of coronavirus,” says a press release from the Prime Minister’s office.
“The situation in our country, after a control of the health situation and the recording of very encouraging results, is now showing perceptible signs of slackening, which give rise to fears of a resurgence of cases of clusters and should encourage not only caution, but above all a stronger mobilisation and commitment of all to curb the spread of the coronavirus”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Fight against COVID: The DG of the Pasteur Institute of Algeria sounds the alarm
After a rather quiet month of September, the contamination curve resumed its upward trend with more than 200 cases of contamination per day.
“The situation is very serious. People are dying every day. We have to be very serious in the way we deal with the epidemic situation,” warned Dr. Fawzi Derrar on Sunday, October 25, on Channel III of the National Radio, while insisting that barrier gestures such as wearing masks and social distancing “can save lives.
“The simplest aspects should therefore not be neglected. The measures laid down in the health protocols drawn up with the various ministries must be strictly adhered to. We need to move towards a generalised awareness”, recommends the virologist.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
October 24, 2020
Tebboune in confinement after contact with COVID-19 suspected cases
The head of state, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, began, this Friday, October 24, a voluntary confinement, after being in contact with suspicious cases, reports the presidency of the republic.
For more information, please consult the following link.
In France, the Algerian diaspora maintains the “flame of Hirak”
Sunday rallies, marches on historic dates, debates to prepare the “after”… The Algerian diaspora is working to keep alive in France “the flame of Hirak”, the popular anti-regime uprising, put out of control by the confinement of COVID-19 and a wave of repression.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
“Partial re-confinement is not to be excluded if…”
Professor Smaïl Nourreddine, a member of the Scientific Committee for monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, gives an overview of the latest peaks in coronavirus activity in this interview. The new Director General of the INSP also explains the reasons for the “re-emergence” of cases of contamination.
“This increase is a challenge for us in order to prepare for any possible spread of the disease. It also means that we have to adapt and react according to the evolution of the virus. The challenge today is to ensure that we can all be on the defensive, observing the barrier measures and keeping our distance.
We must strive to apply the three cardinal measures – wearing a mask, distancing and washing our hands – to avoid falling back into the confinement and curfews that are being introduced in some European countries, such as France. »
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
COVID-19: Algeria anticipates a new upsurge
For the Minister of Health, Prof. Abderrahmane Benbouzid, the instruction is clear: no citizen who comes to the hospital for hospitalisation should be told that there is no room. “Currently, we have 3,000 beds occupied, that is to say an occupancy rate of 19% of the beds that can be mobilised. But the instruction for hospital directors is to tell them to prepare the beds to take care of cases requiring hospitalisation,” the minister said.
The increase in VIDOC-19 cases over the last five days without interruption is considered “worrying” by Prof. Benbouzid. “We had the peak in July. Then the curve remained stable and we even had a threshold of contamination below 200 cases, up to 121 cases,” he explains. For the minister, the key indicator is the number of deaths of COVID-19. “We are at less than 10 deaths per day, which is an encouraging indicator compared to many countries. But we are afraid of what might happen. I visited several wilayas and, apart from the members of the delegation and local elected officials, I did not see a single citizen wearing a mask. Our fellow citizens have the impression that the epidemic is over,” Prof. Benbouzid regrets.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
22 October, 2020
COVID-19 in Algeria this 22nd October: 4th consecutive day of increase
Algeria has recorded 266 new positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, up from yesterday Wednesday when 252 cases had been recorded, according to the official report established Thursday, October 22. For the fourth consecutive day, the daily balance of contaminations is on the rise.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Alitalia adds Algiers to its flight schedule from Rome
The Italian airline company Alitalia has just included Algeria in its new flight schedule for November 2020, reports the specialised site Routes Online on Thursday 22 October.
Indeed, the airline company plans 3 flights per week from Rome to Algiers, and this from December 2, 2020.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Algeria: Call for the release of Abdallah Benaoum
Algerian authorities have increased arbitrary detentions and prosecutions of activists and journalists in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, most recently rejecting requests for provisional release and adequate medical care filed on behalf of Algerian activist Abdallah Benaoum, imprisoned solely for expressing critical views about the government’s crackdown on the Hirak movement, 10 national, regional and international organisations said today ahead of his trial scheduled for 27 October. His lawyers and family fear for his life. Abdallah Benaoum has been in pre-trial detention for 11 months for posting opinions on Facebook critical of the authorities and opposing the holding of presidential elections at a time when he urgently needs heart surgery, which he is being denied because of his continued illegal detention and the authorities’ refusal to provide him with access to the medical care he needs.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Back to school in Algeria: Are children at risk of COVID-19 contamination?
The President of the Algerian Paediatric Society assures that children under 11 years of age are not contagious to COVID-19. Studies show that the number of contaminated children is less than 1%.
This 21st October 2020 was symbolised by the return of the children to school after eight (08) months of holidays. Many parents are worried about the risk of contamination of their children with COVID-19 during the start of the school year in Algeria. Nevertheless, during an interview with the newspaper El Watan, Professor Abdelatif Bensnouci reassured readers by stating that the number of children affected by the disease is less than 1%, according to various studies published around the world.
Indeed, children under the age of 11 are not contagious, but it is still important to respect preventive measures. Professor Bensnouci explains that hand washing or the use of a hydroalcoholic solution can protect the little ones from all the other respiratory viruses that remain dangerous for them, especially those with chronic pathologies.
In this interview, he emphasises that wearing a mask is not compulsory for children under 11 years old, but that it is for the adults around them. Teachers as well as the rest of the staff are obliged to respect physical distance from the pupils. If an adult tests positive, he or she can infect all these children and this represents a great danger, especially for the most vulnerable. The teacher insists on handwashing, which remains the best means of prevention against all viruses and germs.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
October 21, 2020
Back to school: Compliance with health protocols in the Centre
TIZI-OUZOU The start of the primary school year took place on Wednesday in compliance with the barrier measures against the spread of COVID-19 in the wilayas of the Centre, where new infrastructure and school transport buses have been put into service to improve the schooling conditions of students, APS journalists noted.
Anxious for some, cheerful for others, the pupils went back to school after more than seven months of forced holidays due to the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Taking their temperature before going to school, a requirement for physical spacing, the children were back to the barrier measures imposed at the height of the health crisis, realising to themselves and their parents that this new school year would not be like the others.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
COVID-19: More than 8,600 infringements of preventive measures
ALGIERS – Some 8,641 offences related to measures to prevent and fight against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) have been recorded in the last three days by police services across the national territory, said Wednesday a press release from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). The police have recorded 2,309 offences, including 40 relating to the transport sector, which resulted in the impounding of 68 vehicles and 15 motorbikes. With regard to the grouping of persons and failure to respect physical distance, the same services issued 75 fines and recorded 1,669 offences for failure to wear protective masks, in addition to 54 others for failure by traders to wear masks on their premises.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Education: The start of the pre-school school year is November 15th.
The start of the pre-school school year is set for 15 November 2020, according to the circular, which recalls the imperative, as is the case for the other levels of education, “to respect the measures of the health protocol adopted for the start of the 2020/2021 school year”.
This document, a copy of which has reached the APS, sets out the terms and conditions for the enrolment of children concerned with pre-school education as well as the conditions for opening these classes in primary schools in the exceptional health situation of COVID-19. Therefore, children born between 1 January and 31 December 2015 are concerned by pre-school enrolment, in order of date of birth and within the limit of available teaching places.
The opening of pre-school classes is based on “the availability of premises and teachers”, the circular states, specifying that “the creation of this type of class must under no circumstances be the subject of a request for an additional budget item or motivate a change in the operation of the primary school to a double shift”.
As regards the organisation of schooling, the guardianship has limited the number of pupils to a maximum of 20 children per group, and has recommended that the group be divided into two sub-groups, in the event of large numbers, opting for alternation every two days”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Hand-EN: The course interrupted following the detection of cases of COVID-19
In application of the health protocol relating to COVID-19, and in order to preserve the health of the players, it was decided to interrupt the training course of the national team currently underway in Algiers and supposed to continue until October 25, following the contamination of five members of the group by the virus,” said the Algerian Handball Federation in a statement, without giving the names of those infected.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Djerad on the epidemiological situation
The Prime Minister, Abdeleziz Djerad, spoke on Friday 21 October on the epidemiological situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19).
During his working visit to the wilaya of Batna, Mr. Djerad said that “the epidemiological situation remains critical”, stressing that it was “imperative to deploy more efforts to eradicate the epidemic”.
“Thanks to the efforts made, we have been able to maintain a reasonable level of coronavirus contamination despite some shortcomings,” adding that “the shortcomings are not related to a lack of resources, but rather to the accumulation of problems in the health sector.
Finally, the Prime Minister praised the efforts made in the fight against the coronavirus, indicating that the state was “determined to rehabilitate the health professions, from simple agent to professor”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
20 October, 2020
Growth: North Africa seriously affected by VIDOC-19
Because of COVID-19, the Maghreb countries are not at their best, according to the World Bank, which published its periodic report on the North Africa and Middle East region yesterday, Monday, October 19. The Bretton Woods Institution believes above all that the recovery will be rather difficult.
Entitled “Trading together: towards a revival of the integration of the Maghreb and Middle East region in the post-COVID era”, this document is rather pessimistic for Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, in general, Egypt being an exception.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Colossal losses for energy companies
According to an assessment of the Ministry of Energy, made public Friday during a meeting with the directors of the wilayas, energy sector companies have recorded colossal losses due to the coronavirus epidemic. Faced with this situation, it was decided to take urgent measures to mitigate this health and financial crisis, including the reduction of the investment budget of the two groups (Sonatrach and Sonelgaz) to save an amount of 150 billion DA, the ministry said.
As part of the sector development roadmap, the reorganisation of Sonatrach and Sonelgaz was also envisaged, in order to allow the two companies to concentrate on their core businesses, modernise management and information systems and optimise operating and investment costs.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
Air Algérie announces the programming of a new flight from Algiers to Paris
The airline company Air Algérie announced on Tuesday 20 October the programming of a new special flight from Algeria to France. This connection will be made from Algiers to the French capital Paris, indicates a press release of the national company.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
19 October, 2020
The gradual opening of the mosques is carried out under strict health control.
MOSTAGANEM – The gradual opening of mosques “is done in accordance with scientific and thoughtful standards and under strict health control,” said Monday in Mostaganem the Minister of Religious Affairs and Wakfs, Youcef Belmehdi.
The decision to open mosques is subject to the study of a committee headed by the wali and includes all relevant departments, including the Directorate of Religious Affairs and Wakfs which determines the mosque concerned, its capacity and the application of measures of the health protocol of prevention against the pandemic of COVID-19, he said.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
The DGSN reminds the public of the need to respect the instructions of the health protocol.
ALGIERS- The Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) reminded citizens, Monday in a statement, the imperative to respect the instructions of the health protocol put in place to prevent COVID-19 especially in public places.
“Last September, the police services recorded 14,343 awareness actions for the benefit of citizens, recalling each time the strict observance of instructions on physical distance, wearing a mask, respect for hygiene rules and the hours of partial confinement of 30 days applied from 1 October 2020, every day from 23:00 to 6:00 the next day, in Algiers, Oran, Annaba, Jijel, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Bejaia, Blida, Batna, Setif and Constantine,” said the press release.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
