Tunisia Reports Zero COVID-19 Cases for 8th Successive Day

Tunisians wearing protective masks in Tunis, Tunisia (File photo: AFP)
Tunisians wearing protective masks in Tunis, Tunisia (File photo: AFP)
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Tunisia Reports Zero COVID-19 Cases for 8th Successive Day

Tunisians wearing protective masks in Tunis, Tunisia (File photo: AFP)
Tunisians wearing protective masks in Tunis, Tunisia (File photo: AFP)

The Tunisian Ministry of Health announced that the country did not record any new coronavirus cases for the eighth day in a row, which confirms the success of the government plan to limit the spread of the pandemic.

The Ministry stated that the total number of confirmed cases in the country is 49, all of whom who are under medical supervision, with over 989 recoveries.

The director-general of the National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases, Nissaf Ben Alaya, announced that for over 40 days, 15 of the 24 Tunisian states did not record any COVID-19 cases, while five other states did not report any local cases for over 37 days.

Also, four states including Tunisia, Gafsa, Qibili, and Mahdia, did not report new cases for over 20 days, which confirms the great success in controlling the pandemic, according to Ben Alaya.

She also said that for three consecutive weeks, the virus has not been transmitted over the Tunisian territory. She announced that the next stage of maintaining Tunisia’s health security is considered more difficult than the previous stage of containing the virus.

However, Ben Alaya warned that the virus could return if Tunisians did not respect the recommended health measures, including maintaining social distance and wearing masks in closed areas.

She emphasized that the National Anti-Coronavirus Committee identified several scenarios that include easing lockdown restrictions and measures if the number of cases decreased globally. It also calls for several preventive measures for arrivals from countries with a high number of cases.

Earlier, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) announced Tunisia as a "safe tourist destination" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNWTO said Tunisia has developed a health protocol to guarantee a safe environment for travelers and workers in the tourism sector.

Tunisia announced it is ready to resume tourism safely and will be reopening its borders on June 27 and welcome international tourists as of July.

The third phase of the country’s efforts to lift its coronavirus lockdown began on June 4, and inter-city and regional travel has already resumed in full.



Biden Calls Israeli Strike that killed Nasrallah a ‘Measure of Justice’

Rubble of damaged buildings lies at the site of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon September 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Alloush
Rubble of damaged buildings lies at the site of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon September 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Alloush
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Biden Calls Israeli Strike that killed Nasrallah a ‘Measure of Justice’

Rubble of damaged buildings lies at the site of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon September 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Alloush
Rubble of damaged buildings lies at the site of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon September 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ali Alloush

US President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah a “measure of justice.”

The comments came after Hezbollah confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the group’s founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’ attack on Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a ‘northern front’ against Israel,” Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah’s watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.

The State Department on Saturday ordered the departure of the families of US diplomats who are not employed by the embassy in Beirut. It also authorized the departure of those who are, as well as nonessential employees because of “the volatile and unpredictable security situation” in Lebanon’s capital.

The State Department has previously advised American citizens to consider leaving Lebanon and reiterated its warning against all travel to the country.

“Due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the US Embassy urges US citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” the department said in a statement Saturday.

The State Department routinely orders or authorizes the departure of nonessential embassy staffers and the families of diplomats when security conditions in the country where they are posted deteriorate.

An ordered departure is not technically an evacuation but does require those affected to leave. An authorized departure allows those affected to leave the country voluntarily at government expense.