This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called for new legislation to safeguard medical workers after a rise in attacks on healthcare staff.
The incidents, which have also involved damage to public assets and medical equipment, have been reported in various parts of the country.
Algeria recorded 585 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 21,355, including 1,052 deaths, according to Djamel Fourar, spokesperson for the scientific committee monitoring the pandemic.
The government has attributed the increase in cases to the population's failure to adhere to preventive measures, despite the country relaxing anti-coronavirus restrictions in early June.
As a result, the government has extended a partial lockdown in some provinces, including the capital Algiers, to contain the spread of the virus.
Algeria's main virus hotspots are the provinces of Setif, Algiers, and nearby Blida, which was also the epicentre of the country's early outbreak.
Healthcare workers in these areas have come under increasing pressure as cases rise, with one hospital director in Bouira jumping out of a window to escape an angry family of a patient suspected of having died from COVID-19.
The government has condemned the manipulation and dissemination of images on social networks and in the media that harm the medical profession, and has vowed to take action against those responsible.
