Photo: John S. sur Flickr
29 May, 2020: Extension of the state of emergency for six months from May 30, 2020
The President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed, decided on Friday to extend the state of emergency throughout Tunisia for six months from 30 May 2020, according to a statement by the Presidency of the Republic. The state of emergency continues since November 24, 2015 throughout the territory of the Republic, following the terrorist attack that targeted a bus of the presidential guard in the capital, killing 13 people and injuring 16.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 30, 2020: Tunisia prepares for the high tourist season
It is not known exactly when the 2020 tourist season will start in Tunisia, but all stakeholders are preparing and are acting as if it should start very soon, at the end of June or early July, i.e. at the beginning of the summer high season, hoping for a return of visitor flows from European countries. It is within this framework that a working meeting was held yesterday, Friday, May 29, chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mohamed Ali Toumi, and his colleague of Health, Abdellatif Mekki, with the participation of the executives of the two departments. The meeting dealt with the health protocols to be put in place to ensure the smooth running of the summer season, in the strict respect of the measures of protection against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), especially in the means of transport (planes, car ferries, buses…) and in the hotel and leisure establishments: physical distancing, barrier gestures, hygiene of rooms and common spaces. It is a question, it is understood, of preserving the health of the visitors, Tunisians and foreigners, as well as that of the employees and professionals of the sector.
The discussion focused mainly on the technical, logistical and sanitary means to be implemented by the various speakers, in order to ensure the success of the next high tourist season which the Tunisian economy, almost at a standstill since last March 2, date of the detection of the first case of coronavirus in Tunisia, is in dire need of in order to revive itself and make up for lost time.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 30, 2020: The number of healings increases to 950
The Ministry of Health announced Saturday that as of May 29, 2020, 11 people have tested positive for Coronavirus, including 5 new cases. The new cases come from outside the country. For the latter, containment is mandatory. 6 cases already active. And this, out of a total of 791 tests. 25 cases within the framework of the follow-up of active cases. Thus, the balance sheet rises to 1076 confirmed cases out of a total of 51171 analyses performed. And this, since the beginning of the pandemic last March. Indeed, the number of cures has risen to 950. 78 are still carrying the virus. Still under observation, of which only 2 are currently hospitalized. As a reminder, 48 died as a result of COVID-19.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 30, 2020: More than 60% of Tunisian households have been impacted by COVID-19 (INS)
More than 60% of Tunisian households say they have been impacted in one way or another by the COVID-19, mainly by the increase in food prices and job loss, reveals a survey by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), published Friday, May 29, 2020. According to this survey devoted to monitoring the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Tunisian households during the period from April 29 to May 8, 2020, the increase in food prices and job loss during the confinement were the main concerns of families. To cope with the increase in food prices or to compensate for the loss of their jobs, 25% of the households surveyed drew on their savings, according to this survey conducted by telephone among a panel of 1,369 households representative of the Tunisian population. 25% of the households surveyed said they had been forced to receive aid or to borrow money from relatives, while 15% had resorted to deferred payment of their obligations.
In addition, some have had to change their food and non-food consumption habits, observes the survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the World Bank. On the other hand, more than one-third of respondents said they were afraid of running out of food for financial reasons during the month preceding the interview. This apprehension was felt more in rural areas and among households with a low standard of living.
These fears resulted in a portion of the population changing their eating habits by reducing the quantities consumed or consuming foods that are not very popular in normal times, notes the same source. In the 30 days prior to the interview, about 30% of households in the poorest quantile and about 20% of those in the intermediate quantile reduced their food consumption due to a lack of money or other resources.
Financial difficulties have also caused about 30% of people in the two poorest quantiles to switch to foods that are usually unpopular. However, less than 1% of the respondents report having gone without eating for an entire day due to lack of money or other resources. According to the survey, the health crisis has had an impact on the supply of some basic commodities, mainly flour and semolina and to a lesser extent sanitary products. The shortage has affected all classes of the population relatively equally, the survey notes, adding that the rate of social coverage and its quality are worse for the most economically vulnerable people. This segment of the population would therefore a priori be more exposed to the impact of a health crisis.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
