Photo: John S. on Flickr
June 05, 2020: Algeria reach the peak on April 29th (Benbouzid)
Algeria reached the peak of contamination by the coronavirus on April 29 with 199 declared cases, said Friday the Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, Abderrahmane Benbouzid, stressing that the current “relatively stable” situation has allowed to initiate a gradual de-confinement. He explained that the government is taking measures to allow certain sectors to reopen their activity, based on the recommendations issued by the Scientific Committee to monitor the evolution of the Coronavirus pandemic, recalling the “partial and gradual” de-confinement that has already begun.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
June 05, 2020: New rules for travelling with Air Algérie
In a video posted on its Twitter account, the national airline company unveiled its health protocol for fighting the coronavirus (Covid-19) during its flights. The measures announced by Air Algeria are as follows:
- Taking the temperature of passengers;
- Respect of the physical distance of 1.5 meters;
- Disinfection of hands before handing in the passport at the reception desk;
- Wearing of masks is mandatory for passengers;
- Wearing of masks and gloves is mandatory for receptionists at the counters;
- Wearing of masks, goggles and gloves for flight attendants.
Concerning the interior of the aircraft, Air Algérie’s health protocol provides for meticulous disinfection and sterilisation of the aircraft and renewal of ventilation. Regarding the meals served, they will all be covered with plastic food bags and delivered to passengers in cartons. As a reminder, Air Algérie has still not communicated the date of the resumption of domestic and international flights.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
June 05, 2020: Private Schools – Pre-registration for school fees dispute begins
The concern of parents is exacerbated with the start of pre-enrolment for the 2020/2021 school year in private schools, at a time when a dispute between them and the managers of these establishments concerning the payment of school fees for the 3rd quarter of 2019/2020 has yet to be resolved.
Indeed, since the cessation of classes on 12 March because of the coronavirus, a real arm wrestling match has been engaged between parents and managers of private schools concerning the payment of school fees for the 3rd quarter.
If the directors of these private schools are categorical about the “obligation” of paying fees to “meet the operating costs”, parents, for their part, do not see why they should pay for a service they did not receive. A situation that was deemed, moreover, “inextricable” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
June 07, 2020: A mini emergency respirator designed by researchers in Oran
A mini emergency respirator was created by a team of young researchers from the University of Science and Technology of Oran “Mohamed Boudiaf” (Usto-MB), we learned from the designers of this medical equipment for the management of patients with respiratory failure. This initiative is part of solidarity actions with hospital structures fighting against coronavirus, said the director of the laboratory of aeronautics and propulsion systems (Lasp) of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Usto-MB, Professor Bachir Imine. The prototype was produced in less than two months as a collaboration between the Lasp, the volunteer group “Acting For Djazair” composed of national scientific expertise active in Algeria and abroad and the Institute of Mechatronics of the University of Barcelona (Spain), Imine explained.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
June 07, 2020: Lockdown lifting – adaptation measures to ensure industrial activities’ resumption
The industrial companies are preparing the resumption of their activities through measures adapted to the requirements of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, affirmed representatives of the employers’ organizations who are concerned about the additional costs caused by these measures.
“After three months of restrictions, it is necessary to resume economic activity, but at the same time the preservation of public health must remain the top priority. The recovery must not be at the expense of the health of the population. Specific measures will therefore be taken within industries and businesses in general,” said the President of the Business Leaders Forum (BF), Mohamed Sami Agli. These are essentially the compulsory wearing of masks, social distancing, periodic disinfection of workplaces, regular monitoring of workers’ health and taking the temperature at the entrance to the sites.
However, these measures will have a definite cost on the company’s activity, stresses Mr Agli, calling for employer/employee solidarity to deal with this situation.
“It is not all the companies which can put at the disposal of their employees daily masks which know prices of madness or assume the expenses of the operations of disinfection or the transport of the personnel”, notes the president of the FCE, who points out that the Algerian economic fabric is essentially composed of the VSE/SME whose financial capacities are limited.
“The case of Algeria is particular compared to other countries where the economy is only suffering from the cyclical difficulties linked to the pandemic, while Algerian companies are already suffering, after a very complicated year 2019, and are currently facing the double shock: health crisis and drop in oil prices”, he argued.
For more information (in French), please visit the following link.
