President Tebboune: Algeria has enough capacities to combat Covid-19

APS : Wednesday, 01 April 2020
ALGIERS- President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Tuesday said that Algeria has enough material, financial and organizational capacities, not yet used, to combat COVID-19.
In an interview with national media managers broadcast by public television, President Tebboune affirmed that “our country is completely ready to contain the pandemic,” stressing that compliance with preventive measures will enable us to “calmly” overcome this crisis.
The president also said that Algeria had been among the first countries to take measures to ward off the spread of this pandemic, even before the European countries.”
Algeria has closed “the closure of schools, high schools, universities and even stadiums “as a preventive measure.
He also announced the extension of the closure of schools, universities and vocational training centers, as part of measures to prevent and combat the spread of Coronavirus.
Responding to those who say that Algeria has been slow to take action, President Tebboune said that our country has “nothing to hide” concerning the pandemic. “The situation is under control. We have the means to counter the pandemic even in stage 5 as far as the capacities of the People’s National Army have not been used yet.”
With regard to the shortage of protection equipment, Tebboune explained that “the surprise factor and the emergency decreed by the public authorities caused disruption in distribution despite the availability of of goods and means,” announcing that stocks in some provinces have been channeled to other cities.
President Tebboune stressed that the Covid-19 was an opportunity to revive the national industry in a number of sectors, in particular hydro-alcoholic gels and masks, adding that “the national production machine has “with a daily production of some 80,000 to 90,000 units in addition to a significant increase in the production of disinfectant products.
The Head of the State said that Algeria will purchase, from China, 100 million surgical masks and 30,000 screening kits, adding that they will be delivered within “three and four days.”
Concerning the financial capacities, the president of the Republic recalled that “370 billion of centimes has been allotted for the purchase of prevention equipment.”
In the previous Council of the Ministers meeting, it was decided to mobilize USD$100 million.
The country is able to allocate “one billion dollars to the fight against Covid-19,” said President Tebboune, adding that Algeria’s exchange rate amounted to USD$ D60 billion.
Moreover, the President of the Republic hailed the existing friendly relationship between Algeria and China, and their strategic cooperation agreements in several areas.
“China is a very close friend country and this friendship is not liked by some,” said President Tebboune, adding that this strong friendship dates back to the period of the Liberation War and strengthened after independence. “It is therefore quite natural that Algeria answered China’s call by sending it aid last February to fight the spread of COVID-19,” said Tebboune.
For President Tebboune, the Chinese medical assistance and doctors arrived in Algeria as a sign of solidarity will help us take advantage of the experience of this country which managed to contain the pandemic.
Commenting the remarks on the sending of Chinese medical team to Algiers military hospital, the president said that the military hospital counted thousands of experienced doctors and paramedics and it doesn’t need foreign assistance.
Specialist doctors and nurses from the military hospital will support civilian hospitals to counter this pandemic, he affirmed.

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