Casablanca police toughen anti-coronavirus measures

CASABLANCA – Casablanca police are toughening their approach in dealing with tourist establishments in Morocco’s economic capital city as part of their fight against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) has taken the necessary measures to preserve public health and enforce the provisions of the public health state of emergency within tourist establishments,” said DGSN spokesman Boubker Sabik.

“The Director General of National Security has given firm orders as to the strict application of legal and organisational provisions relating to tourist units, so as to enforce the public health state of emergency and fight against the spread of the pandemic of new coronavirus,” Sabik said during a meeting with the press held at Casablanca’s police prefecture.

Sabik said that related measures aimed to preserve the health of citizens, guarantee the proper implementation of the regulations governing the running of hotels, listed restaurants, cafes and other tourist units, in addition to the rigorous application of the provisions of the law relating to the entry and stay of foreigners in the national territory.

The police prefecture has undertaken several security operations, including 54 raids targeting tourist and hotel establishments in one week, which recorded 118 infringements.

The police have so far checked 49 restaurants selling alcoholic beverages and 117 cafes, particularly in the area of the Ain Diab corniche.

Some police raids at trendy restaurants and cafes triggered strong criticism in social media after several customers reported being fined for not wearing face masks.

Casablanca is Morocco’s number one hotspot for coronavirus infections which have reached 62,590 and 1.141 deaths across the North African kingdom.

Some neighbourhoods in Casablanca have been under partial lockdown after a leap in COVID-19 cases.

The reported infection of an official in the Fida-Mers Sultan district last week raised eyebrows on local authorities’ measures taken to protect their employees from the spread of the virus since the infected person attended several meetings with local officials and citizens.