Preparations in Algeria for Eid amid virus

Eid festivities will be dampened after Algeria's government announced earlier this week it is reinforcing curfew restrictions imposed nationwide to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.

All motor vehicles are banned from circulating during the two-day Eid festival, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Over the two days of Eid festivities, many Algerians travel to celebrate with relatives, but not this year.

Roads are expected to be empty and drivers caught on the roads risk paying a fine or having their car impounded.

Over Ramadan, Algerians have been following a partial curfew, imposed from 5 p.m in the evening to 7 a.m. the next day. All stores except those selling food items are closed.

As elsewhere in the world, that has been a boon for e-retailers, a business sector that Algerians until recently had little access to.

But online purchases and home delivery is becoming more common. Jumia.dz is one of the country's main online vendors. Operating from a modest warehouse in the capital, its business has been growing fast. Big international companies have been hindered from entering the market.

Mosques around the country will remain closed for Eid.

While some may be uneasy with this, state-salaried Imams have taken on the official policy and will not be preaching their Eid sermons as they would usually do at this time year.

Algeria has had almost 8,000 cases of coronavirus and seen 575 deaths, according to latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.