The Algerian government on Sunday reopened mosques across the country as part of the moves to ease coronavirus-prevention restrictions following a drop in the number of infections, reported Africa News. The mosques will be opened in strict compliance with health measures and protocols.
In addition, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad has ordered the resumption of all public and private hotel activities, with the exception of ceremonies and celebrations. Activity restrictions of cafés, restaurants, and fast-food chains have also been lifted, including the obligation to only offer food and drink takeaway services and to close at 9 pm.
The Algerian government has, however, renewed the 10 pm to 5 am curfew for 15 days in 19 of the 48 prefects in the country including Algiers and Blida. Also, all gatherings including weddings, circumcisions, and political demonstrations will continue to be banned.
All decisions will go into effect from Monday.
Notably, Algeria is among the first few African countries to begin a coronavirus vaccination drive. The government launched the vaccination campaign with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on January 30 in Blida, the place which remained the epicenter of the pandemic and where the country’s first virus case was reported.
The months-long vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate around 80% of the country’s 44 million population.
The Algerian authorities are currently in talks with Moscow to manufacture the coronavirus vaccine in Algeria itself, according to local media reports.
According to the latest report from the country’s Ministry of Health, 198 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the North African country to 110,711.
The death toll from the virus in Algeria rose to 2,939 after four new fatalities were added. Meanwhile, 183 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 76,059.
