Tunisian Hospitals Struggling to Cope With Rise in COVID-19 Cases

Nurses wearing personal protective equipment care for an intubated Covid-19 patient in an intensive care unit at a hospital in the town of Gabes in southwestern Tunisia | AFP
Nurses wearing personal protective equipment care for an intubated Covid-19 patient in an intensive care unit at a hospital in the town of Gabes in southwestern Tunisia | AFP
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Tunisian Hospitals Struggling to Cope With Rise in COVID-19 Cases

Nurses wearing personal protective equipment care for an intubated Covid-19 patient in an intensive care unit at a hospital in the town of Gabes in southwestern Tunisia | AFP
Nurses wearing personal protective equipment care for an intubated Covid-19 patient in an intensive care unit at a hospital in the town of Gabes in southwestern Tunisia | AFP

Tunisian authorities have warned that hospitals are struggling to cope with an influx of Covid-19 patients and urged residents to respect anti-virus measures to avoid another lockdown.

"If we don't manage to flatten this curve, which is really going up, we risk being overwhelmed," Dr. Hechmi Louzir, spokesman of the scientific committee for the fight against Covid-19, told AFP.

"The capacities of the Tunisian health system have not yet been saturated but we are starting to have some problems" in greater Tunis and the coastal city of Sousse, he said, warning of "a lack of human resources" in intensive care units.

Louzir said 345 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized, and 120 of them required oxygen support, as of October 1.

Tunisia, which had virtually contained the pandemic at the end of June, recording some 1,000 cases and 50 deaths, lifted most of the restrictions over the summer.

But the number of confirmed cases has now reached 20,000, including nearly 300 deaths.

On Friday, Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi said field hospitals were to be set up in several cities to help manage the rise in cases but also called for vigilance in respecting health protocols.

"The rigorous application of the measures taken by authorities is necessary but we are counting on the sense of responsibility of citizens," he said.

Obligatory mask-wearing in enclosed public spaces was imposed in early August but has been widely ignored by the public and many officials until recently, prompting many Tunisians to call for stricter enforcement of measures.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has ruled out a nationwide lockdown such as was imposed in the spring so as not to put further pressure on Tunisia's beleaguered economy, but localized lockdowns are on the table.

A curfew was imposed Thursday in the coastal regions of Sousse and Monastir and some areas around Sidi Bouzid, in the interior of the country, with the suspension of weekly markets and the closure of venues.

Health workers have protested in recent days to demand more protective equipment.

"The poor public health situation stops us from working properly," said Othman Jallouli, a trade union leader from the General Health Federation.



Yemen’s New PM Takes Office in Aden Amid Deep Economic Crisis

 A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
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Yemen’s New PM Takes Office in Aden Amid Deep Economic Crisis

 A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)

Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Salem Saleh bin Braik, officially assumed office in the interim capital Aden after returning from Riyadh alongside Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi, amid worsening economic conditions and deteriorating public services in the war-ravaged country.

Bin Braik takes the helm as Yemen grapples with one of its most severe economic downturns in recent years. The local currency has plunged to a record low, with the US dollar trading at over 2,500 Yemeni rials, fueling inflation and deepening humanitarian needs.

Citizens in government-held areas are hoping the new prime minister can halt the currency’s freefall and improve crumbling services, particularly electricity, after years of war have drained public resources and infrastructure.

In his first cabinet meeting, attended by Al-Alimi, bin Braik outlined his vision and roadmap for the coming period, describing directives from the presidential council as an urgent framework aimed at “containing economic and service deterioration, alleviating humanitarian suffering, and strengthening the state’s legal authority.”

He listed key priorities including financial and monetary policy reform, activating oversight and accountability mechanisms, and combating corruption.

Bin Braik has called for sweeping institutional reforms and national cooperation as he assumes office, vowing to restore oversight bodies and stabilize the economy amid a worsening crisis in government-held areas.

Speaking during his first cabinet meeting in Aden, bin Braik said the reactivation of key institutions such as the Supreme Anti-Corruption Commission, the High Tender Committee, and the Tender Oversight Authority was “imperative and necessary” to strengthen transparency and support other watchdog bodies.

He also stressed the need for Yemen’s parliament and consultative council to resume sessions from Aden.

Bin Braik pledged to empower the central bank to fully perform its functions and regain control over public revenues, insisting that all liberated provinces must deposit their income into the bank. “Success in these efforts,” he said, “requires broad national integration and cooperation between the government, local authorities, and political components.”

The prime minister urged Yemen’s political parties, media professionals, and activists to adopt a unified national discourse and engage in constructive criticism, stressing that “this phase does not allow for political rivalries or narrow calculations.”

In a message directed to the public, particularly women and youth, bin Braik reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting their causes, empowering them, and addressing their aspirations within a clear institutional framework.

“We don’t want to put the country onto a civil-war track, but believe me, this is not going to affect our commitment to the need to extend and consolidate the authority of the state,” Salam said.