Tunisia’s new Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh speaks during the government handover ceremony in Carthage on the eastern outskirts of the capital Tunis on February 28, 2020. (AFP)
Tunisia’s parliament on Saturday gave the prime minister special powers for two months to allow for the accelerated adoption of measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh will be able to implement measures without referring to the legislature in an effort to battle the pandemic in the North African country, according to a text adopted by parliament.
On March 20, Tunisia’s president ordered a general lockdown, limiting citizens’ free movement in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.
