Tunisia Records Highest Covid Deaths in Two Months

Medical staff members work at a department for patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside Charles Nicole Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia July 13, 2021. Picture taken July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui
Medical staff members work at a department for patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside Charles Nicole Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia July 13, 2021. Picture taken July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui
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Tunisia Records Highest Covid Deaths in Two Months

Medical staff members work at a department for patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside Charles Nicole Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia July 13, 2021. Picture taken July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui
Medical staff members work at a department for patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside Charles Nicole Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia July 13, 2021. Picture taken July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui

Tunisia reported the highest number of Covid deaths in two months, reporting 20 new deaths in the last 24 hours.

The death toll reached 26,271, the Health Ministry said, adding that the total number of hospitalized cases reached 1,042. According to the ministry, 191 patients are in intensive care and 52 under life support.

Night curfew has been effective in Tunisia since Jan. 13 to counter the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

Deaths spiked in the past few weeks from 3-4 cases per day to more than 13 deaths daily.

Moez Hammami, a specialist in quantitative risk assessment, expected Tunisia to record up to 40 death cases per day, noting that the country is currently witnessing its sixth wave.

Hammami further said that the next ten days will represent the peak in critical and death cases.



Starmer: Britain Moving Jets to Middle East to Support Regional Security

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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Starmer: Britain Moving Jets to Middle East to Support Regional Security

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Britain is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East to provide support across the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.

Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, the day after Israel launched an air offensive against its old enemy, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.

"We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region," Starmer said.

Britain already has fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter threats in Iraq and Syria.

Crews began deployment preparations on Friday morning, when it was clear the situation in the region was deteriorating, a spokesperson for the prime minister said.

Further refueling aircraft from British bases have been deployed, and additional fighter jets will be sent, the spokesperson added.

Iran warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Tehran's strikes on Israel, Iran state media reported Saturday.