Morocco Suspends Air, Maritime Travel To and From France

Rabat – Morocco has decided to suspend all air and sea trips to and from France due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. France has 2,876 cases as of midday Friday.

Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported Friday that the decision comes after King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the subject. Government authorities of the two countries had held a discussion on closing down travel.

Authorities will also continue to work together during the global health crisis.

Morocco also suspended flights with Algeria, Spain, and Italy. All three have recorded multiple cases of the novel coronavirus. The outbreak is particularly severe in Italy where the death toll surpassed 1,000.

Spain recorded nearly 1,000 new cases on Friday, for over 4,000 cases total. Algeria has 26 confirmed cases.

The decision comes as part of Morocco’s measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic in Morocco.

So far, Morocco has confirmed seven cases. The country confirmed the seventh case Friday morning. The patient is a 39-year-old  Moroccan national who arrived in Casablanca from Spain on March 4.

Morocco has recorded only one death due to the pandemic. The fatality was of an 89-year-old Moroccan woman who had a chronic disease in addition to COVID-19. The chronic disease weakened her immune system.

Morocco said the country is still in the first phase of the pandemic as all patients made contact with the virus abroad.