Rabat – Azeddine Ibrahimi, a member of Morocco’s National Scientific Committee for COVID-19, has called for easing entry to Morocco and the reopening of the maritime borders.
In a Facebook post, Ibrahimi stated that Morocco should “follow in the footsteps of other” countries such as France, Canada, and Thailand. The three countries have eased travel restrictions to revive their tourism industry and other revenue-generating sectors.
“As many other countries have done, I think it is time to allow Moroccans to return to their country (and also incoming tourists),” Ibrahimi wrote.
Following the reopening of Morocco’s airspace on February 7, the government announced several measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its strains.
The conditions to enter Moroccan territory include a vaccination pass and a negative PCR test taken less than 48 hours before plane boarding.
Ibrahimi argued that Morocco should limit travel requirements to only a vaccination pass or a negative COVID-19 test.
He also advocated for the reopening of maritime borders, saying this would facilitate the return of Moroccan expatriates wishing to return home for holidays.
Commenting on the epidemiological situation, Ibrahimi said that Morocco’s strategy to tackle Omicron “proved successful” compared to the “Zero-COVID” strategy that other countries implemented.
The epidemiological situation in Morocco has been stable in recent weeks thanks to the low spread of COVID-19 and the absence of new mutations in the North African country and the rest of the world, he argued.
Arguing that Morocco’s COVID response has been largely effective, Ibrahimi especially stressed the success of the country’s vaccination campaign. The immunity state of Moroccans is reassuring thanks to the national vaccination campaign and the immunity possibly acquired from the spread of Omicron.
The Moroccan health expert concluded by calling for the normalization of COVID, saying: “We are in March 2022, not March 2020. Morocco should coexist with the virus and open up more to the world.”
