Tunisian authorities imposed on Monday a full lockdown in four governorates amid a spike in coronavirus infections.
The lockdown was imposed in Beja, Siliana, Zaghouan and Kairouan. A curfew will be in place from 5 pm to 5 am.
The lockdown was adopted after more than 400 infections were reported among every 100,000 people.
Authorities have banned gatherings, cultural activities and family events and ordered shut markets and shops, except those selling food, to stem the spread of the pandemic.
Travel to and from these governorates is also banned, except for students sitting for national exams.
Dr. Samar Samoud, a professor of immunology at the Pasteur Institute, said Monday that the Institute will reveal this week the results of the sequencing of some positive Covid-19 cases recorded in Kairouan to determine the variant of the strain that is spreading in the governorate.
She ruled out that the sequencing would uncover a new strain, adding that medical tests have revealed that the British variant makes up the majority of COVID-19 cases.
The Health Ministry announced 78 COVID-19 deaths and 1,775 new infections in the past 24 hours, with a positivity rate standing at 29.40% after 6,037 samples were taken.
The case tally soared to 382,950, while the death count surged to 14,038 since the pandemic began in Tunisia.
