New Coronavirus Variant: Morocco tightens control at its airports

Moroccan authorities have tightened control for inbound travellers at the airports of Marrakech-Menara and Essaouira-Mogador after several European countries have reported cases of the more contagious variant of Covid-19 which was first identified in UK.

Besides the required covid-19 negative test, temperature screening, face-mask wearing and the respect of the distancing rules, the passengers may be subject to random covid testing at the airports by local medical staff.

Morocco has suspended all flights with the UK beginning Dec. 20 and with Denmark beginning Dec.24 until further notice, to prevent spread of a new COVID-19 strain.

Part of the state of health emergency which remains in effect in the country till January 10 and which grants the government authority to impose swift and proactive measures, the government announced another set of lockdown measures for a period of three weeks, starting Dec.23.

The measures include a nationwide night curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., the closure of restaurants, cafes, shops, and supermarkets at 8 p.m. and the ban of public and private gatherings and parties across Morocco.

Morocco also announced a total closure of restaurants in the cities of Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier for a period of three weeks.

These measures come as the country is about to launch a nationwide vaccination campaign after it secured vaccines from leading pharmaceutical companies, including China’s Sinopharm.

In Morocco, Covid-19 has so far infected 433,029 people, killed 7,272, while 399,575 others recovered.