Tunisia deploys army to impose nationwide quarantine

Tunisia has deployed army units throughout the country to implement a quarantine as part of measures to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, the presidency said Monday in a statement.

"By order of President of Kais Saied, [who is also] the supreme commander of the armed forces, a greater number of military forces will be deployed throughout the territory of Tunisia with the intensification of patrols and the establishment of security and military points in all places," it said.

"The deployment of a huge number of army forces aims to maintain security, resist all abuses and urge citizens to stay in their homes and respect the measures that have been taken in order to avoid unjustified gatherings and movements.”

Defense Ministry spokesman Mohamed Zekri said: "From today, the deployment of army units to support the security effort in implementing the countrywide quarantine will be strengthened throughout the country."

According to Zekri, the army units have been deployed since Friday, two days after a curfew came into effect between 6:00 p.m. (GMT1700) and 6:00 a.m. (GMT0700) to prevent the virus from spreading.

"The army patrols were reinforced after the decision of the general quarantine and the military deployment became throughout the day," he added.

Tunisia currently has 89 confirmed cases of the virus, including one recovery and three deaths.

There are over 375,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with the death toll exceeding 16,400, according to a running tally being compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.