Algeria is all set to reopen air and land borders on June 1, but with adherence to strict precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, reported Eyewitness News.
The Algerian presidency made the announcement after a meeting between President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the Council of Ministers on Sunday.
According to a statement released by the presidency, the reopening of borders will take place on June 1, and, at the first stage, five flights a day will be scheduled from airports located in major cities, such as the capital Algiers, Oran, and Constantine.
The statement stressed the reopening of borders must be carried out in strict compliance with the rules on ensuring the health and safety of passengers and employees. It added that more details would be announced in a week.
The decision came as the country has witnessed significant improvement in controlling the COVID-19 spread.
Algeria had closed its borders and suspended all flights back in March 2020 when the number of COVID-19 infections started to increase. Domestic flights were resumed in December last year. The government had also organized flights home for its nationals abroad although they were also suspended earlier this year.
Last Thursday, the Algerian Scientific Committee monitoring the spread of COVID-19 suggested the conditional return of Algerians stranded abroad and foreigners.
Algeria has so far recorded 125,311 coronavirus cases, including 3,374 deaths.
In related news, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday finally approved the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.
“This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing’s Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy, and quality,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The two-dose vaccine is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world including China, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, and Seychelles, among others.
