Tunisian PM Hichem Mechichi contracts COVID-19 disease

Tunisia's Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has been infected with the coronavirus, the government said on Friday.

Mechichi received a COVID-19 vaccine last month.

The prime minister will cancel his meetings and continue to work remotely, the government statement added.

Tunisia is seeing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, with intensive care wards almost full, health authorities said adding that the situation is catastrophic.

After successfully containing the virus in the first wave last year, Tunisia is grappling with a rise in infections. The positive cases rate now is 36%.

In total, Tunisia has recorded 395,000 coronavirus cases and about 14,406 deaths.