Night curfew reinstated in Tunisia's capital

The mayor of Tunisia's capital, Tunis, has said a night-time curfew will be reinstated for two weeks in a series of restrictions intended to control the spread of coronavirus, which has significantly risen in recent weeks.

The curfew will also be imposed in the neighbouring provinces of Manouba, Ariana, and Ben Arous.

Since July there were only a few soft measures in place to control the rate of infection in Tunisia. But in the past month alone, more than 20,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

The mayor of Tunis said the curfew will start on Thursday and will run from 21:00 to 05:00 local time on weekdays, and 19:00 to 05:00 local time on weekends.

Weekly markets and Friday prayers have also been banned, and cafes and restaurants can no longer have seated areas.

The mayors of four other Tunisian cities, which have also seen a significant rise in Covid-19 cases, have also recently imposed a night curfew.

There is a real worry that the country’s health sector could significantly struggle if the infection rate does not slow down.

The Tunisian government has so far ruled out a return to a nationwide lockdown that was imposed earlier this year, when it shut down its economy and borders, and imposed severe restrictions on movement.