The curfew in effect since the end of 2020 has now been extended to the 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. period. Travel to and from certain large cities is conditional on vaccination against Covid-19, which has been delayed.
While Morocco has gradually eased its rules since the end of May, opening its air borders in early June on condition, a series of tightening measures were put into effect Tuesday in the kingdom. In an attempt to limit the spread of the Covid, the country is particularly betting on limiting movements between regions.
To move to or from the economic capital Casablanca and the tourist cities of Marrakech or Agadir, it is now necessary to present “a vaccination document or an administrative travel document issued by the local authorities” for professional or medical reasons, as explained Monday the Twitter account of the kingdom. However, carriers of goods and goods are exempt.
Tourist season
In addition, the 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. curfew imposed since the end of December across the country has been extended, starting now at 9 p.m. and ending at 5 a.m. Gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited. Restaurants and cafes must close at 9 p.m., hotels limit their capacity to 75%, during the tourist season. The baths, sports halls, and indoor swimming pools are no longer accessible at all.
Restrictive measures already in force are also maintained: funerals, weddings, and parties are prohibited. Public transport, cafes, and restaurants must respect a limit of 50% of their capacity.
According to an official report sent on Tuesday, Morocco seems less affected by the coronavirus than France. At least on the scale of the pandemic. Since the start of screening in March, Morocco has had 642,683 positive cases, or 17,622 per million inhabitants, against 92,135 for France (figures obtained from Public Health France data as of August 3). The kingdom has 9,949 deaths, or 272 per million inhabitants, against 1,670 in France. But the outbreak of contaminations worries, pushing the government to be more severe. For Tuesday alone, around sixty deaths from the virus were noted.
Vaccination, very well underway at the start of the year, now amounts to nearly 24 million doses administered for the 36 million inhabitants, 14 million people received the first dose and more than 10 million the second dose. A notable delay, while Morocco had set a target that all of its 25 million adults be vaccinated before the summer.
