Algeria urged to do more coronavirus tests

Algeria is not doing enough tests, which makes it hard to assess the scale of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, head of Pasteur Institute in Algeria and doctors said.

The North African country conducts 400 tests daily for a population of some 37 million people. It has so far confirmed 5558 cases with a surge in deaths to 494 while recoveries stood at 2546.

El Watan, an Algerian independent newspaper, had reported last month that the country’s testing capacity shows only the tip of the iceberg in infections, i.e. about 15 % only, it said.

Up to now, the country had conducted 6500 tests only compared with more than 63,000 in neighboring Morocco where the lockdown measures are stricter and where wearing masks is mandatory, after local companies ensured the self-sufficiency of the domestic market in protective gear.

Algeria is also overtaken by Tunisia whose population represents a third of Algeria’s. Tunisia has conducted more than 28,000 tests and has so far 1.030 cases including 45 deaths and 638 recoveries.

Mauritania registered its 8th case on April 30, its only active case after six cases recovered and one died.