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Coronavirus: Morocco eases containment

2020-06-20T06:25:06.196Z


Morocco announced on Friday a further relaxation of restrictive measures in force since mid-March to fight the coronavirus pandemic, despite a sharp increase in the number of cases in the past 24 hours. The Moroccan authorities had decided on June 9 to classify the country into two zones: the first, encompassing small towns, less affected by the pandemic, found an almost normal life. Zone 2, whic...


Morocco announced on Friday a further relaxation of restrictive measures in force since mid-March to fight the coronavirus pandemic, despite a sharp increase in the number of cases in the past 24 hours.

The Moroccan authorities had decided on June 9 to classify the country into two zones: the first, encompassing small towns, less affected by the pandemic, found an almost normal life. Zone 2, which includes major urban centers like Rabat and the economic capital Casablanca, remained subject to wide restrictions. Friday evening, the Ministries of Health and the Interior announced in a joint statement the reclassification, June 24 at midnight, of most of the kingdom in the "zone 1", with the exception of five cities.

Read also: Coronavirus: in Morocco, these French nationals who have chosen to stay

Unlike those in "zone 2", the inhabitants of "zone 1" can circulate without a special permit, access public outdoor spaces, jog or go to the hairdresser. With the maintenance of the state of health emergency until July 10, wearing a mask remains compulsory, gatherings prohibited, mosques, cinemas and theaters closed, restaurants and cafes limited to take-out orders.

The announcement of this new easing comes as Morocco identified Friday 539 new cases of contamination, after the discovery of an outbreak in a factory near Kenitra (west), which remains in "zone 2". This is the highest daily toll in the kingdom since the announcement of the first case in early March. The Interior Ministry therefore announced on Friday evening the tightening of restrictions in Kenitra and two nearby cities, "after the appearance of new epidemiological foci in production units ".

Read also: Morocco: the contrasting results of the twenty years of Mohammed VI's reign

Until now, Morocco, 35 million inhabitants, recorded on average less than a hundred cases daily. It appears relatively spared with 9,613 contaminations in total, including 8,117 cures and 213 officially recorded deaths.

No announcement has been made on the date of reopening of the borders, which have been locked since mid-March, while tourism, a key sector of the Moroccan economy, is plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

Morocco is expected to experience its worst recession this year since 1996, with a contraction of more than 5% of its GDP, due to the Covid-19 pandemic but also to poor agricultural yields, according to the Central Bank of the kingdom.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-06-20

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