By implementing measures such as confinement, travel bans, and curfews, the Tunisian authorities introduced a state of emergency with the claim that they were protecting the population. But with more than 5,000 arrests made during the epidemic, the tightening of security has created growing concern. 

"After confinement, everyone will have to wear masks," health minister Abdellatif Mekki said on April 5, contradicting what the authorities had said a few weeks prior. Masks are increasingly found in pharmacies and street stalls but were widely unavailable at the start of the epidemic. Behind the scenes, production is frequently delayed and official guidelines remain unclear.