February 21, 2021
Receipt of a donation of medical equipment from the Algerian community
A donation of medical materials and equipment for people suffering from COVID-19 in Algerian hospitals, offered by the associations “Algériens solidaires” and “Secours islamique de France”, was received Sunday in Algiers.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
The rate of vaccination in Algeria and in the world
Algeria aims to vaccinate 70% of its population against COVID-19 by 2021, according to Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid. At the current pace of the vaccination campaign, is this objective realistic?
Put on the scale of the Algerian population of some 42 million, Algeria’s current vaccination rate is 0.2 doses per 100 inhabitants. This is one of the lowest rates recorded by the New York Times in its data, rivalling the rate of 0.1 doses per 100 inhabitants recorded in Egypt, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia.
In total, nearly 200 million doses of vaccine have been administered in at least 107 countries so far, equivalent to 2.6 doses per 100 inhabitants.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 20, 2021
Algeria reveals the number of people vaccinated so far against COVID-19
The scientific committee for the fight against the coronavirus in Algeria revealed, Friday, February 19, 2021, that a total of 75,000 Algerians have received the corona vaccine since the launch of vaccination operations at the end of January.
The same source stressed that no serious complications or deaths have been recorded as a result of the vaccine, according to Algerian media. The scientific committee said it expects Algeria to also receive new batches of other vaccines that have proven effective, such as the “Pfizer” vaccine.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 19, 2021
Cabinet reshuffle and dissolution of Parliament
In a speech to the nation, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called for the dissolution of parliament and early parliamentary elections. As the North African nation struggles with health, political and economic crises, President Tebboune announced Thursday that he would reshuffle the government “within 48 hours”.
The head of state had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the office of Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad. “I have decided to dissolve the National People’s Assembly to call for elections free of money, whether it comes from corruption or not, and to open the doors to young people,” the Algerian president said. He also called for the dissolution of parliament and early parliamentary elections.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 18, 2021
China gives 200,000 doses of vaccine to Algeria
Algeria will receive in the coming days a donation of 200,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, said Thursday the Chinese ambassador to Algeria, Li Lianhe, to the official agency APS.
China will continue “to provide the necessary support and assistance, according to the needs expressed by Algeria”, the Chinese ambassador said. Beijing and Algiers are long-standing allies and have close economic and trade relations.
At the beginning of the pandemic, China sent a team of virologists to Algeria and sent respirators and protective and testing equipment.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 17, 2021
Threats of COVID variants in Algeria: specialists divided
he Algerian specialists are divided as to the risks linked to the arrival of variants of COVID-19 in Algeria. On Monday, Dr. Mohamed Bekkat Berkani, a member of the scientific committee, called for the postponement of the BRC match against a South African team because of the risks linked to the arrival of the South African variant. This concern is not shared by another member of the scientific committee. Yesterday Tuesday, Prof. Riad Mahyaoui said in an interview with TSA that the situation should not be overdramatized, judging that the match can be held, with strict compliance with health measures related to COVID-19. This Wednesday, the Algerian Football Federation announced the continuation of the match.
If Pr Mahyaoui wants to be reassuring, this is not the case for a third specialist. Professor Habib Douagui, head of the allergology department at Beni Messous University Hospital in Algiers warned Wednesday against the risks presented by mutations of the coronavirus COVID-19, calling for extreme vigilance in monitoring the arrival of these variants in Algeria.
“The other element of uncertainty and great concern is the problem of mutants,” Professor Douagui said in an interview with TSA, recalling that “there are three mutant variants circulating in the world: English which is likely to arrive here, Brazilian and South African”.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 16, 2021
Opening of the borders in Algeria: “it is still early”, says Sanhadji
With the health situation gradually improving, several Algerian citizens are calling for the government to open the borders this February. But is this the right time for this? Here is Professor Sanhadji’s opinion.
In fact, for the past few days, the Committee monitoring the evolution of COVID-19 in Algeria has been recording just under 200 new cases per day. This suggests that the health situation is potentially beginning to stabilise and gives hope for the best for the days and weeks to come. A rather positive assessment which has given rise in the minds of several citizens to the idea of opening the borders in Algeria this February.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
COVID-19: almost one million doses of vaccine received by the end of February 2021.
The Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, Abderrahmane Benbouzid said that Algeria will receive, at the end of February, 200,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine in addition to 700,000 to 800,000 doses under the COVAX group of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Algeria will receive, in February this year, 200,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine and in addition 700,000 to 800,000 doses within the framework of the COVAX group of the COVID-19 vaccine while waiting for the arrival, later, of other quantities,” said the minister during a parliamentary day on “The coronavirus pandemic in Algeria and the vaccination strategy”, organized Tuesday in Algiers by the Commission of Health, Social Affairs, Labour and National Solidarity at the Council of Nation in the presence of the acting president of the council, Salah Goudjil.
In addition, the sector’s chief executive urged the media and all social partners to “cooperate with the sector to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination on a large scale.
He added that Algeria will receive, at the end of April, 9 million doses of vaccine within the framework of the African Institute for the Prevention of Epidemics under the African Union (AU), announced the director of pharmacy and medical equipment at the Ministry of Health, Wahiba Hadjoudj.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 15, 2021
COVID-19: reopening of mosques and hotels in Algeria
Algeria is easing its anti-coronavirus restrictions. The Algerian government decided to reopen mosques and hotels on Sunday following a drop in cases of COVID-19. These measures, announced by the Prime Minister’s office, will apply today (Monday) according to the Prime Minister’s office.
The government is also lifting the restriction on cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets provided they close at 21:00 local time and offer only take-out food or drinks.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
February 13, 2021
The “great interest” granted by Algeria News to the national media underlined
The Minister of Communication, Government Spokesman, Ammar Belhimer highlighted, Saturday in Algiers, the “great interest” granted by the new Algeria to the national media, under the high patronage of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, insisting on the “primordial” role of the National Radio in the coverage and media treatment of the COVID-19 dossier. For the Minister, national and thematic radio stations, as well as local radio stations, played a “primordial” role in the coverage and media treatment of the COVID-19 dossier, indicating that the coronavirus infection of a number of journalists and the family of the central and local radio “did not prevent the family of this prestigious institution from pursuing its mission in the service of the citizen, despite the difficult economic situation and the gravity of the pandemic”.
For more information, please consult (in French) the following link.
