Tunisia releases 1,420 prisoners over coronavirus
TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's President Kais Saied on Tuesday ordered the release of 1,420 prisoners in an amnesty to combat the spread of the coronavirus in prisons, a presidency statement said.
Tunisia has declared a general lockdown to slow infection rates, and has confirmed 362 cases of the coronavirus, with nine deaths.
The government said in a separate statement that it would provide food assistance to thousands of families in their homes, starting Friday, for a period of about two months.
Saied last week ordered the army to deploy in the streets to force people to respect the lockdown.
(Reporting By Tarek Amara; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alex Richardson)