Number of new COVID-19 cases in Tunisia 2020-2022

From August 31 to September 4, 2022, Tunisia registered 74 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). Weekly cases decreased compared to the previous weeks. Previously, the number of daily cases peaked at 19,923 on January 22, 2022.

Fourth wave and efforts to accelerate vaccination

Tunisia faced a fourth wave of infections in early 2022 due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The country recorded a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 infections and registered a new peak in the daily variation. The new wave spread in spite of the relatively high  vaccination rate among Tunisians. The vaccination campaign was accelerated in summer 2021, when the country faced a severe third wave of COVID-19 infections and donations allowed to speed up vaccinations. On August 16, 2021, over 167,000 doses were administered, the highest number of daily inoculations in the country.

Rising infections cause political instability

In July 2021, the severe third wave of infections provoked a political crisis in Tunisia. The country saw an outbreak of violent demonstrations, where Tunisians protested against the current social, economic, and political situation and expressed their dissatisfaction with the handling of the pandemic by the government. As of March 2021, only 32 percent of the population was satisfied with how the country responded to the COVID-19 outbreak, while most Tunisians considered that the government did not take appropriate measures to tackle the country’s socio-economic issues.