The COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Algeria in February 2020. In December it was announced that Algeria intended to launch COVID-19 vaccinations in January 2021.
Background
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Timeline
February 2020
On 25 February, Algeria laboratory-confirmed its first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an Italian man who arrived on 17 February; on 28 February, Algeria deported him back to Italy, via a special flight from Hassi Messaoud Airport where he was subject to quarantine.