Algeria president Abdelmadjid Tebboune tests positive for COVID-19

The President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune has tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated in a German hospital.

The presidency of Algeria made the announcement on Tuesday ending days of speculation over the health of the 74-year-old leader saying that his condition is gradually improving as he receives treatment in a German hospital.

Tebboune, who is a heavy smoker, “continues to receive treatment in a specialized German hospital after catching the Covid-19 illness” and is “gradually recovering”, his office said in a statement.

He was transferred from a hospital in Algiers to Germany on Wednesday, according to the officials, days after he went into self-isolation following reports of suspected COVID-19 cases among his aides.

The statement from the presidency further said, “Abdelmadjid Tebboune was transferred… to Germany for in-depth medical examinations on the recommendation of medical staff”.

Algeria has seen a re-emergence in coronavirus cases in during the past weeks.

It has recorded 405 new cases on Tuesday, along with nine deaths, according to official media.

So far, the North African country has officially confirmed more 58,979 cases, with nearly 2,000 deaths.