Tunisia on Saturday announced the closure of all schools until April 30, as well as restrictions on movement, to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A government spokeswoman said the situation was very serious, and that there would be a 7 p.m. curfew for cars.

Intensive care units are near maximum capacity in most hospitals, officials said.

With a population of around 11.5 million, Tunisia has recorded 9,639 deaths from almost 282,000 confirmed coronavirus infections.