TUNIS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia decided on Saturday to suspend flights to and from four countries where the new strain of COVID-19 becomes highly prevalent.
"The countries concerned by the suspension decision are the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark and South Africa," Neji Zitoun, commander of Tunis-Carthage International Airport told the private radio station Mosaique.
Zitoun affirmed the intensification of preventive barrier measures at Tunis-Carthage International Airport to contain the spread of the pandemic.
The Tunisian Health Ministry on Friday reported 4,170 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 175,065.
The death toll from the virus rose by 50 to 5,528 in the North African country, the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Tunisia will impose a targeted lockdown from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24, said Nissaf Ben Alaya, spokesperson of the ministry of health.
Ben Alaya said the targeted lockdown will include the ban on all demonstrations, gatherings, travel between regions in addition to curfews and alternate working arrangements. Enditem