Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was hospitalized on Tuesday just days after he went into self-isolation after his close aides were found coronavirus positive, reported Al Jazeera.
Tebboune was shifted to a specialized unit at a military hospital in the capital, Algiers, on Tuesday on the recommendation of his doctors.
“His health is stable and does not cause any concern, and he is continuing his daily activities from the treatment centre,” the presidency confirmed in a statement carried by the official APS news agency.
The statement, however, did not state if he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Saturday, the Algerian president noted in a tweet that he is self isolating after several senior aides were found positive with COVID-19.
“I assure you, my brothers and sisters, that I am well and healthy and that I continue my work,” he was quoted as saying at the time.
Tebboune took office in December in an election that came amidst months of mass protests against his predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who served as the president for around 20 years.
Elected in December, the Algerian president has pushed for a new constitution that limits presidential terms and gives more powers to the Parliament and judiciary. It will be put to a referendum on Sunday.
Algerians, however, are still continuing with the protests as they believe that their core goals of replacing the old ruling elite and forcing the army to stay out of politics remain unmet. The people of Algeria will vote in a referendum on the new constitution on Nov. 1.
The coronavirus pandemic struck Algeria’s economy as it faced long-term challenges posed by the decline of the oil and gas revenues that finance the major portion of the country’s state spending. So far, the country has officially confirmed more than 55,000 cases of the coronavirus, with nearly 2,000 deaths.
