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Join on Telegram Rabat – The Moroccan government is suspending all flights to and from Algeria amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
In a statement, authorities said that they had notified Algerian authorities before the announcement.
In line with the decision, Morocco’s flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc, suspended all flights to and from Algeria starting Thursday, March 12, until further notice.
RAM said it set up a special mechanism to help its customers manage their trips following the change.
The company invited its customers to postpone their trips to a later date free of charge or cancel trips in exchange for airline credit worth the original ticket that would be valid for six months. The airline credit would only be valid for RAM flights, however.
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RAM also invited customers in Morocco to telephone its call center at 08900008000 for more information. The company’s number for international calls is +212522489797.
Algeria was one of the first African countries to confirm cases of the coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases in the country climbed to 24 as of Thursday, causing Algeria to order the immediate suspension of schools and universities.
Algeria also confirmed the country’s second death from COVID-19 on Thursday.
In other precaution measures, Morocco also suspended flights to and from Spain and Italy. It also suspended maritime voyages with Spain.
Health authorities in Morocco have confirmed seven cases of the coronavirus so far. One patient, who also suffered from a chronic illness, died earlier this week.
The illness weakened the 89-year-old woman’s immune system, making her more vulnerable to the pandemic.
The Moroccan government is certain COVID-19 is still in its first phase in Morocco since all patients in the country contracted the virus abroad.
