Health of Covid-19-positive Algeria president 'improving'

The health of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who contracted the Covid-19 disease, is "constantly improving", the presidency said Sunday in a statement.

Tebboune, who is 74 and a heavy smoker, has been treated in a specialised hospital in Germany since October 28.

The president "is in the process of completing his treatment... and his state of health is constantly improving", the statement said.

Tebboune was transferred from a hospital in the Algerian capital Algiers to Germany shortly after going into self-isolation following reports of novel coronavirus cases among his aides.

He was admitted to "one of the largest specialised hospitals in Germany" to undergo "in-depth medical examinations", the presidency added.

The president's illness meant he was out of the country for a referendum last Sunday on a revised constitution seen as aimed at burying a mass protest movement and boosting Tebboune, elected president on a record low turnout last December.

The constitutional referendum, which passed with two-thirds of the vote, saw participation plunge to new lows with just 23.7 percent of registered voters casting ballots, according to official data.

In a separate statement released later Sunday, Tebboune conveyed his "sincere thanks to the people" for their interest in his condition, according to the presidency.

He also expressed thanks to leaders and governments of other countries for their messages of support, it said.

Algeria's government on Sunday moved to strengthen measures to combat the spread of the virus in the country, extending a night-time curfew already in place in 20 of the country's 48 regions to a further nine areas.

The curfew will start at 8 pm local time (1900 GMT), three hours earlier than previous restrictions, but will still end each morning at 5 am (0400 GMT).

The new measures will come into effect from Tuesday for 15 days, authorities said in a statement.