Algeria's health workers face ‘physical and verbal' attacks

As Algeria reports another record number of daily virus cases, president calls for law to protect health workers after an increase in attacks on medics, paramedics and administrative staff

Algeria is planning a law to protect health workers after an increase in “physical and verbal attacks” since the country’s coronavirus outbreak began, as it registered another record number of daily cases.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called for new legislation after an increase in recent weeks of “physical and verbal attacks on medics, paramedics and administrative staff,” according to a statement published on the prime minister’s website.

The incidents have also in some cases involved “acts of damage and destruction of public assets and medical equipment,” the statement added.

Algeria on Thursday registered 585 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 21,355, including 1,052 deaths, said Djamel Fourar, spokesperson for the scientific committee monitoring the pandemic, during a daily press conference.

The number beat several single-day records this week.