Algeria shutters mosques, temporarily closes land border with Tunisia amid COVID-19 fears

Algeria has suspended Friday prayers and closed mosques nationwide as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The azan, or call to prayer, will be maintained, reported the Algeria Press Service on Tuesday (Mar 17).

Algeria Press Service also reported the country has come to an agreement with Tunisia to temporarily close its land border.

The North African nation reported its fifth death from COVID-19 on Tuesday.

President Abdelmajid Tebboune said the coronavirus pandemic is an issue of national security, soothing fears by saying that 1.55 million masks of different types are available and 54 million others are on their way, in addition to 6,000 screening tests and 15,000 others “in the course of acquisition”.

The country on Monday hit 60 cases of COVID-19. It has since suspended flights to and from Tunis, Cairo, Dubai, Doha, and Amman.

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