The curfew will now be in place from 11 pm to 5 am local time, instead of from 8 pm to 6 am, as the country gradually relaxes general lockdown rules in place since March.
The North African democracy imposed the curfew in March, aiming to slow the spread of the virus by keeping people at home, combined with a lockdown that shuttered all but key shops and services.
It follows the government’s announcement that no new coronavirus cases have been recorded for three days in a row, with 1,032 confirmed cases in total and 45 deaths.
However, Jalila Ben Khelil, a member of the government’s advisory committee on the coronavirus crisis, said that though the restrictions had been eased, they could be brought back if necessary.
“We are afraid of a new wave if there is slackness, and people continue to disregard and disrespect social distancing by crowding public places,” she said by phone.
Tunisia entered the crisis with only 500 intensive care beds equipped with ventilators, and the government said at the start of the outbreak that the health system would struggle to cope with more than 5,000 cases.
The country has added another 100 intensive care beds, began construction of a temporary facility at a sports centre in Tunis, and has improved readiness at public hospitals around the country, Ben Khelil said.
