Xi sends sympathy to Algerian leader with coronavirus

President X i J inping has con veyed his sympathy to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune after the North African leader contracted the coronavirus.

In a message that was made public on Friday, Xi said he had learned that Tebboune was hospitalized for examination and treatment, and that he would lik e to e xpress his sympathy and wish the Algerian president a speedy recovery.

The Algerian P resident’s Of fice confirmed on T uesday that T ebboune was infected with COVID19.

His condition has gradually improved during his treatment in a German hospital, the office said in a statement.

It announced on Oc t 28 that Tebboune, 7 4, was transferred to Germany for a thorough physical examination on the recommendation of his doctors.

Tebboune had been admit ted to a specialized unit at a military hospital in the capital Algiers on Oct27.

The president began a selfimposed quarantine on Oc t 2 4 af ter contact with senior of ficials who had shown symptoms of the virus.

By F riday af ternoon, Algeria had recorded 57 ,942 corona virus infections, with 1, 964 deaths, according to the W orld H ealth Organization. Some 40,570 people have recovered from COVID19.

The countr y of 44 million people repor ted no ne w corona virus cases from the previous day.

Tebboune ser ved as a regional governor in the 1980 s and later joined the cabine t of thenpresident C hadli Bendjedid, before leaving politics.

He re turned as a government minister in 1999 and had a brief stint as prime minister under thenpresident Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2017.