Tunisia hails Algerian support during Covid-19 crisis

Tunisia has been able to overcome its oxygen shortage thanks to support from Algeria, Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi announced yesterday. Mehdi added that essential equipment has also been purchased to help in the response to the Covid-19 crisis.

“The ministry was able to purchase the necessary ventilators and oxygen equipment through the international donations dedicated to support Tunisia in the face of the coronavirus,” the minister told parliamentarians. “Ninety-one per cent of Tunisia’s available resuscitation beds are filled, and those with ventilators are at 85 per cent capacity.”

On 24 April, Mehdi revealed that Algeria had agreed to provide Tunisia with extra oxygen, in an attempt to support the country during the pandemic. “Thanks to Algeria, we were able to contain the mounting numbers of infections.”

A total of 303,584 people in Tunisia have contracted the virus to date, 10,444 of whom have died. Just over 253,000 have recovered.

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