Morocco to suspend citizens’ repatriation December 23

RABAT - Moroccan authorities have decided to suspend the mechanism put in place to allow Moroccans residing in the Kingdom and stranded abroad to return to the national territory, after a week, namely on Thursday, December 23, 2021 because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, announced the Interministerial Committee of COVID-19 Monitoring.

"Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant at the global level and its worrying progress in the European neighbourhood of Morocco, the Moroccan authorities, who have established, for the benefit of Moroccans effectively residing in the Kingdom and stranded abroad, a mechanism to enable them to return to the national territory, have decided to suspend this mechanism, after a week, namely on Thursday, December 23, 2021," said the Interministerial Committee in a statement.

Starting from that date, passenger flights to the Kingdom will be banned again, the same source said.

Moroccan authorities strongly recommend that Moroccan nationals affected by this measure and who wish to return to the Kingdom, to make the necessary arrangements for their return, before this date.

Moroccan authorities will continue to place the preservation of the physical integrity and health of Moroccans, before any other consideration, concluded the statement.

The decision came few hours after the health ministry reported the first case of infection with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Casablanca.

“As part of the national vigilance and epidemiological monitoring and its communication policy, this first case of contamination by the new strain Omicron was detected in a Moroccan citizen whose health condition is stable and does not cause concern,” the ministry said in a statement.

The female patient was placed under medical supervision in a hospital in the city of Casablanca, in accordance with the health measures in force, the ministry added.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection urges all citizens to comply with the sanitary measures of prevention; i.e. properly wearing protective mask and frequently washing and disinfecting hands, in addition to physical distancing. The ministry also calls on citizens to get vaccinated quickly.

The ministry will continue to inform the national public opinion about the evolution of the epidemiological situation, the statement concluded.