Rabat – Former Moroccan football player Abdeslam Ouaddou has vowed to donate €100,000 for students to have internet access in the rural town of Alnif amid Morocco’s lockdown and the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
Ouaddou announced his donation in a heartfelt message in Tamazight (Berber) expressing solidarity and compassion.
In the message, Ouaddou acknowledges that the world is experiencing “hard times” due to the outbreak of the virus. “This is not a time for jokes. People are dying and hospitals are full and there will be no places for more patients.”
The former star urged people to stay home to avoid infection even beyond 14 days, the period of time it can take to develop symptoms.
Abdeslam Ouaddou directed his gift to students in Alnif, a town in Tinghir province in the Draa Tafilalet region.
In addition to Ouaddou, Moroccan public and private institutions have contributed MAD 10 billion to a special fund for COVID-19 that Kind Mohammed VI initiated on March 15. The fund reached a total of MAD 15 billion as of Wednesday, March 18.
Health authorities announced that the number of coronavirus cases reached 66 in Morocco as of Friday. Morocco recorded a new COVID-19 death today, bringing the death toll to three.
To avoid further infection, Morocco imposed a national lockdown that will start at 6 p.m. today.
The confinement means that citizens are not allowed to go out into public spaces without special authorization from local authorities.
Authorities will provide travel permissions for people who work in essential sectors, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, medical clinics, telecommunications, and essential freelance activities.
People are still allowed to go out to buy daily groceries or medicines in their neighborhood or to get medical care. Authorities will distribute a form that people can fill out and submit to get permission to leave their houses in case of an emergency.
