Marruecos prolonga dos semanas el toque de queda
Morocco has extended the curfew established throughout the country for two weeks due to the crisis of the COVID-19. The decision seeks to alleviate the worsening of the situation, as well as to stop the spread of the new variant of the British virus, according to the press release published by the government.
This new curfew, imposed last Tuesday, January 19th, will be in effect until February 2nd. Moroccan citizens will not be able to leave their homes between 9pm and 6am. The Executive also establishes the closure of restaurants, stores, supermarkets and other businesses from 20.00 hours.
The measure was taken "following the recommendations of the Scientific and Technical Commission on the need to maintain the measures and procedures necessary to combat COVID-19," according to authorities. Morocco has registered some 461,000 cases since March. 437,000 have recovered, while 8,011 people have died.
The curfew has been imposed in Morocco since December 23. In principle, the government set a maximum duration of three weeks, however, the incidence remains. Therefore, the Prime Minister, Saad-Eddine El Othmani, announced that the state of health emergency will last until February 10 at 6 p.m.
"The Ministry of Health informs all citizens that the epidemiological monitoring system recorded the first confirmed case of the mutated strain of the coronavirus recently discovered in the United Kingdom", Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb announced the detection of the first infection caused by the British variant last Monday.
After the announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the suspension of flights with four states. Travelers from Australia, Brazil, Ireland and New Zealand will not be allowed to enter the country. Flights from the United Kingdom, where the variant was detected, were suspended since late December.
Last December, authorities announced the order of 66 million doses of British Oxford-AstraZeneca and Chinese Sinopharm vaccines. The Executive also announced the launch of a free vaccination campaign aimed at 25 million people, approximately 80% of its population.
However, El Othmani stated yesterday in Parliament that "Morocco has not yet received any".
After weeks of waiting, the Prime Minister on Tuesday defended the work of his Executive, and directed criticism to the supply programs.
“Most countries are complaining of this scarcity", El Othmani said, adding that rich countries were paying up to five times more money to get prior access and that it was natural that countries producing the vaccine used them at home before exporting.
On Monday, the World Health Organization warned that the globe faced a “catastrophic moral failure” to share vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "Such a "me-first approach" left the world's poorest and most vulnerable at risk, but it is also counterproductive", urging countries and manufacturers to spread doses more fairly.
So far, no African country has yet been able to initiate a mass vaccination program, as only Guinea has received several doses of the vaccine - a total of 25 units of Sputnik V, loaned by Russia. So, the continent is unable to face the virus.
Morocco, which participated in clinical trials of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine together with other African States, still does not receive vaccines in the midst of a new wave, an increasing incidence and a continuously extended curfew.
