Bizerte-COVID-19: General health lockdown in several delegations from July 8

A general health lockdown has been instituted in the governorate of Bizerte in the delegations of Bizerte-North, Bizerte-South, Menzel Bourguiba, Tinja and Joumine, for a period of five days, from July 8 to July 12, announced on Tuesday, Mohamed Gouider, Governor of Bizerte and Head of Regional Committee for the Fight against Natural Disasters.

This decision aims at breaking the chains of infection and preventing the spread of the Coronavirus, he stressed, adding that the lockdown provisions do not apply to emergency cases, night workers, travel related to national and university exams, nor to market supply activities.

For her part, member of the Medical Monitoring Unit in Bizerte, Salma Mchirgui described the epidemiological situation as “very serious” in the region where the prevalence has reached an average of 583 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.

Since the appearance of the virus, the governorate of Bizerte has known 648 deaths linked to the pandemic and 15,624 cases of infection including 1,1662 cured patients.

 

Source: TAP News Agency

Manouba-COVID-19: seven fatalities, 359 additional cases of infection

Seven people have died of the Coronavirus in the governorate of Manouba over the past 24 hours, bringing to 590 the total number of deaths linked to the pandemic in the region.

The new deaths were reported in Mornaguia (3 deaths), Daouar Hicher (2 deaths) and Manouba (2 deaths), according to an updated report published Tuesday by the Regional Health Directorate.

The region has also recorded 359 new cases of infection, which brings to 20,187 the number of positive cases recorded in the governorate since the outbreak of the virus.

Among these patients, 15,554 are cured of the infection while 3,626 people are currently carriers of the virus, according to the same source which recalls that the occupancy rate of resuscitation beds in the governorate of Manouba has reached its maximum capacity and that 80 patients are now hospitalized at the Mohamed Kassab Institute and the Tebourba Local Hospital.

 

Source: TAP News Agency

Medenine-COVID: Targeted sanitary lockdown in various delegations

The Regional Committee for the fight against natural disasters in the governorate of Medenine decided, on Tuesday during an emergency meeting, to establish a general sanitary lockdown in the delegation of Sidi Makhlouf as well as a targeted lockdown in Medenine-North, Medenine-South and Beni Khedache for a 10-day period starting from July 7, 2021.

These decisions come in light of the critical epidemiological situation in the region, said officials of the Regional Directorate of Health during the meeting.

According to the same source, the number of cases of infection by the virus has reached 2,218 cases over the past two weeks, an average prevalence of 430 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.

Other measures were announced during this meeting, including the return to the mandatory quarantine of positive cases identified in all delegations as well as the strict implementation of the health protocol, the same source said.

 

Source: TAP News Agency

COVID-19: Tunisia logs 105 fatalities and 3,530 infections on July 4

105 COVID-related fatalities and 3,530 infections from 11,221 tests (incidence rate of 31.46%) had been reported on July 4, the Health Ministry said Monday.

As such, the death count rose to 15,482 and the infection caseload spiked to 447,161.

A further 2,302 recoveries were logged, taking the recovery tally to 364,538.

3,568 people are currently staying in public and private healthcare facilities, including 602 in intensive care and 152 under ventilators.

The governorate of Tunis is still reporting the highest number of deaths with 21 registered on July 4, followed by Manouba and Nabeul (12 deaths in each governorate) and Kairouan (10 deaths).

The highest daily incidence rates were logged in Kasserine (60%), Sousse (52.1%), Kebili (47.2%) and Manouba (46.4%).

 

Source: TAP News Agency

Baccalaureate re-sit exam kicks off with over 38 thousand applicants

The Baccalaureate re-sit exams kicked off on Tuesday and will last till July 9 with 38,693 applicants.

The results will be announced on July 17.

These applicants account for 28.19% of all applicants registered for the 2021 baccalaureate session.

Actually, out of 146,158 applicants for the main session, 60,818 (44.30%) have passed, 38,693 are re-sitting and 36,912 have failed, according to the results announced by the Education Ministry on July 2.

 

Source: TAP News Agency

COVID-19: Tunisian Association for the Defence of Children’s Rights denounces lack of preventive measures for children

The Tunisian Association of Children’s Rights on Tuesday denounced the lack of preventive measures against the coronavirus for children.

According to the association, the entire national COVID-19 strategy is based on the assumption that children are not affected by the pandemic based on the first findings in the first countries affected by the pandemic.

“The advent of mutant strains, notably the Alpha and Delta variants, has completely changed the situation! Now children are affected and can even develop severe forms and risk factors have been identified,” she added.

The association also called for the strategic approach to be adapted to these new situations, which we are currently completely powerless to deal with, it considered.

“From preventive measures such as distancing or wearing a mask, to screening measures (PCR test), and treatment, the national strategy has not provided for specific measures adapted to children who are healthy, carriers or affected by the pandemic,” reads the same source. The strategic approach must, according to the association, be tailored to these new situations against which “we are currently completely helpless.”

The association recalled that children are likely to be infected since the very first days of life, or even the first hours, stressing that at a young age, distancing and quarantine is difficult if not impossible given the natural state of dependence of children and their vital needs.

According to the association, hospital beds are extremely limited for children and no COVID strategy has been deployed in pediatric wards at the moment.

Neonatal and pediatric IC beds are scarce throughout the republic in both the public and private sectors. The association stressed that pediatric emergencies are not organised to receive and screen suspected COVID children.

“The current vaccination strategy does not include children,” the association pointed out, adding that around the world, children aged 12-18 are beginning to be vaccinated in preparation for the next school year.

“Research is underway to involve younger children. Some countries are starting to include children from grade 7 onwards,” it indicated.

 

Source: TAP News Agency