عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Tunisia Sees ‘Horizontal Growth’ in COVID-19 Cases

Passengers arriving at Tunis Airport are checked by thermal scanners for coronavirus symptoms (Reuters)
Passengers arriving at Tunis Airport are checked by thermal scanners for coronavirus symptoms (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Tunisia Sees ‘Horizontal Growth’ in COVID-19 Cases

Passengers arriving at Tunis Airport are checked by thermal scanners for coronavirus symptoms (Reuters)
Passengers arriving at Tunis Airport are checked by thermal scanners for coronavirus symptoms (Reuters)

Tunisia has recorded 983 COVID-19 cases, 424 out of them imported and 559 locally transmitted, in addition to six deaths, since opening the Tunisian border on June 27.

The horizontal growth of coronavirus cases pushed the country to declare an open war against the pandemic in several governorates.

Contact tracing showed that 85 percent of the patients are asymptomatic, hindering the containment of the disease. Total deaths reached 56, knowing that it remained fixed at 50 for a couple of consecutive months.

Tunisia recorded 78 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, 71 from local transmission and seven imported, which brought the total to 2,185, the Tunisian Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

Member of Tunisia's National Anti-corruption Commission Dr. Samir Abdelmoumen described the increase as “frightening” especially in regions that saw a horizontal growth in infections, such as Gabes.

Abdelmoumen said the situation can be reversed if parties respected the precautionary measures. Commenting on the possibility of imposing a full lockdown or closing the borders, he ruled out such measures.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
TT
20
TT

At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, security sources said.

Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was an ISIS member. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, the ministry added in a statement.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as putting the preliminary casualty toll at nine dead and 13 injured.

Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defense, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.

“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said in a post on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship ... and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”