TUNIS: Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi sacked Tunisia's health minister on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), the premier's office said, as spiraling coronavirus cases weigh on the North African country's swamped health system.
La Marsa district, just outside Tunis, is deserted Monday, May, 10, 2021. Tunisia announced on Friday strict new measures to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus, with the prime minister saying that the health system risks collapsing if something is not done. Houses of prayer are being ordered closed starting Sunday for a week, along with outdoor markets and large stores and malls. Shops selling food can remain open. AP PHOTO/HASSENE DRIDI
Faouzi Mehdi's sacking came days after the ministry's spokesman said the health situation was overwhelming with the pandemic causing more than 17,000 deaths in a population of around 12 million.