Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been transferred to a hospital in Germany for medical examination a day after being admitted to military hospital in Algiers after a number of his close advisers tested positive for Covid-19.
It is not clear if the president has contracted the coronavirus and his office gave no indication what he is being treated for.
Mr Tebboune, 75, was admitted to a specialised treatment ward in a military hospital on Tuesday. This came three days after he said he would self-isolate as a precaution against the coronavirus.
“I assure you, my brothers and sisters, that I am well and healthy and that I continue my work,” he said at the time.
While it is unclear if his condition is related to Covid-19, Algerian leaders have in the past sought treatment in Europe for serious medical problems.
The news comes days before a critical referendum on proposed constitutional changes that have little backing on the streets 18 months after mass protests forced ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down after 20 years in charge.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Tunisia on Thursday Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced a new nationwide lockdown.
Movement will be prohibited between 8pm and 5am Monday to Friday, and 7pm and 5am on Saturday and Sunday.
Travelling between states has been prohibited, except for work and exceptional cases.
Tunisia’s health ministry said on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic had become “very dangerous”, with 2,125 new infections and 52 deaths recorded over the past 48 hours.
The death toll now exceeds 1,150 and infection cases topped 55,000. Medical sources told Reuters that intensive care units in most state hospitals had reached maximum capacity.
Coronavirus around the world
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A healthcare worker collects a swab sample from a man at a testing center in New Delhi, India. Reuters -
Health workers take the details of a resident at a Covid-19 screening site in Mumbai, India on October 29. AFP -
A woman wearing a face mask walks under torii gates as she visits a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Getty Images -
People practice yoga outdoors amid the ongoing coronavirus restrictions in Ramallah, West Bank. Measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 are still in effect in Palestinian territories. EPA -
People practice yoga outdoors amid the ongoing coronavirus restrictions in Ramallah, West Bank. EPA -
A woman wearing a protective mask exits the emergency room at Sanford Worthington Medical Center, a 48-bed regional hospital, as the coronavirus outbreak continues in Worthington, Minnesota, US. Reuters -
Eighth grade math teacher Leeann Heller helps a student at Scofield Magnet Middle School in Stamford, Connecticut. AFP -
A polling station sign is posted for the US presidential election at the Wiltern Theatre during the global outbreak of coronavirus, in Los Angeles, California, US. Reuters -
People walk by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan's financial district in New York City. AFP -
Signs encouraging protective masks and social distancing in front of white flags representing the number of Americans who have died of Covid-19 at the DC Armory Parade Grounds in Washington, DC, US. Bloomberg -
In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, specialist James Denaro works at his post on the trading floor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 943 points Wednesday as surging coronavirus cases in the US and Europe threaten more business shutdowns and pain for the economy. AP -
Palestinian entrepreneur Heba al-Hindi demonstrates a locally-designed and manufactured smart sterilisation device in Gaza City. AFP -
Palestinian entrepreneur Heba al-Hindi demonstrates a locally-designed and manufactured smart sterilisation device in Gaza City. AFP -
With few face masks and no social distancing, supporters wait for the arrival of US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear, Arizona.AFP -
Healthcare workers wearing powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) hoods process Covid-19 test samples at a drive-thru testing site in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US. Reuters -
Employees of events companies gather at Alexanderplatz to demand government assistance during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images -
A tram turns to an empty bridge after the night curfew has started in Prague, Czech Republic. AP Photo -
People walk on a bridge in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA -
People walk out of a BTS train station in Bangkok, Thailand. EPA -
Commuters wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk out from a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing. AP Photo -
Commuters wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk against commercial buildings at the Central Business District as they exit a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing. AP Photo -
A trader arranges products in their store at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia. EPA -
A man wearing a face mask walks past an advert for a nightclub in Tokyo, Japan. Getty Images
