Passengers wait to board a train at a metro station in Algiers, Algeria on Oct. 7, 2021. The metro in Algeria's capital Algiers resumed operation on Thursday after an 18-month shutdown as part of the restrictions imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua)
ALGIERS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The metro in Algeria's capital Algiers resumed operation on Thursday after an 18-month shutdown as part of the restrictions imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Algiers Metro Company (EMA) said in a statement that it resumed the metro service from 6 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday, according to the official APS news agency.
The EMA called for respecting the anti-pandemic regulations, including the request that all passengers must wear masks to enter the metro stations.
The company said the resumption of service "comes as part of the government measures to ease health restrictions."
Algeria suspended the metro service in Algiers from late March 2020 after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.
The country has experienced a sharp decline of daily COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. The Health Ministry reported on Thursday 105 new COVID-19 cases and five new fatalities. Enditem
