Tunisia relaxes curfew after 3 days without new coronavirus cases

Tunisia has announced a reduction of its nightly curfew hours after three consecutive days without recording any new coronavirus cases, state media reported on Wednesday.

The North African democracy imposed the curfew in March in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, combined with a lockdown that shuttered all but key shops and services. President Kais Saied has cut the curfew hours to 11pm to 5am instead of 8pm to 6am, 10 days after the start of a gradual reopening of the bureaucracy and economy.

The government announced that no new coronavirus cases have been recorded for three days in a row, with 1,032 confirmed cases in total and 45 deaths, Reuters said.

Officials have warned of a possible second wave and kept in place many restrictions on movement, including the closure of schools, mosques, cafes and restaurants. PM Elyes Fakhfakh said on Tuesday that the government would require about $5.4 billion in external funding this year.