Tunisia’s health system 'collapses' as COVID cases surge

By Adel Bin Ibrahim Bin Elhady Elthabti and Gulsen Topcu

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia’s Health Ministry said Thursday that the country’s health care system had collapsed due to surging cases of COVID-19.

With the number of infections rising sharply in recent days, ministry spokesperson Nissaf Ben Alaya spoke to Mosaique Radio on the ongoing health crisis.

According to Alaya, the Health Ministry has been struggling to provide oxygen and beds for patients and the health care system had collapsed.

Stressing that the pandemic had put a heavy burden on medical staff across the country, she said the "ship was about to sink."

The Health Ministry announced that the virus has so far claimed the lives of at least 15,735 people and nearly 373,000 of 465,000 patients have recovered from the disease.

Libya announced Thursday that it had decided to close its borders with Tunisia for a week due to the rising number of cases in the neighboring country.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas