ALGIERS -- In partnership with Canadian and Jordanian firms, a laboratory in Algiers has started producing rapid test kits for the novel coronavirus. The kit has a detection time of 15 minutes and a production capacity of 200,000 units per week, unior minister in charge of pharmaceutical production Lotfi Benbahmed said on state television. He did not name the two foreign partners.

The North African country has allocated $100 million to import medical equipment and pharmaceutical products to counter the virus. It has also received medical donations from China over the past days.

The government has imposed a nationwide curfew, ordered the closure of most businesses and suspended public transport to slow the spread of the virus.

Algeria has so far reported 5,891 confirmed infections, with 507 deaths and 2,841 recoveries. -- Agencies