COVID-19 - Morocco Master Thread

[markharf]

Thanks for the update. I will release my guilt to the universe (which, by some accounts, could use a boost), at least until I hear details involving significant suffering and deserved, proportional blame.

[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by markharf

Michael, are you back in Toronto, or still stuck in Tunisia?

Hi Mark:

I escaped Tunisia on April 4th, after passing about 3 weeks' time in lockdown in hotels in Djerba.

The Tunisians arranged one repatriation flight (only!) from Tunis to Canada - I was able to get a ticket on it.

All things considered, I was very, very impressed with how Tunisia coped with this pandemic. Their lockdown was swift and brutal - as a result, the country of 11 million has only suffered 1,000 infections since the pandemic began. On the 500 km ride from Djerba up to Tunis, I think I saw less than a dozen other vehicles on the motorway - I did the whole motorway trip at wide open throttle, about 190 km/h.

Tunisian customs were very kind and understanding - normally, you have to take your vehicle out when you leave, but due to the pandemic, all they asked was that you leave your name, contact information, and the vehicle key with the customs office at the airport. The vehicle itself could be left anywhere in the country, you didn't have to tell customs where you left it. I left my bike in a diplomatic compound, and hope to go back and continue my ride in Tunisia sometime this fall.

Michael

[markharf]

Excellent news, thanks! Any remnant feelings of guilt have now been expunged. Enjoy!

[Tim Cullis]

Churchill, speaking to the House of Commons in 1942 about the victory at the Battle of Alamein and what it meant for the war is recorded as saying, "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

And so it is with Morocco.

From Thursday 25 June Fez, Casablanca and some other regions will move into the zone 1 (less affected) category leaving ONLY Marrakech and the northern section of the Atlantic Coast (Tanger, Asilah, Larache, Kenitra) in more restricted zone 2.

Also from 25 June, domestic life is restarting. Many of the zone 1 restrictions are being released. Hotels, cafes, restaurants, hammams, beaches and gyms will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity. Domestic flights will resume and travel will be allowed on autoroutes and main roads between cities without the need for authorisation documents. You can read more about this here: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/202...ls-on-june-24/

We still don't know when we, as visitors, will be allowed back in the country. But with the relaxation of Spain's borders we can hope that those motorhome and 4x4 owners still stuck in Morocco can at last bid farewell and join their friends and families back home.

Morocco still has a way to go in fighting the pandemic. There's been a major spike in new infections this week, but the country is working to contain these and still seems well positioned. All patients across Morocco needing hospitalisation are now being treated in two specialist locations, one to the east of Casablanca at Benslimane, the other to the north of Marrakech at Ben Guerir, freeing up other hospitals to resume their normal caseloads. Fatalities have thankfully been extremely low, with only 13 announced in the last three weeks.

[Tim Cullis]

At the moment the Moroccan authorities are focused on bringing home an estimated 30,000 citizens still stranded overseas. On their return the travellers are undergoing mandatory 14-day isolation in holiday apartments close to airports such as Tetouan and Oujda.

Next month the annual Operation Marharba will start, welcoming ex-pat Moroccans back for their annual summer holidays. Most of these will travel overland and 23 ferry boats have been identified landing ex-pats in Tanger Med, Tanger Ville, Nador and Al Hoceima. This year's traffic volumes is expected to be lower than the 2.5 million passengers in 600,000 vehicles of normal years.

Various dates have been bandied about for the start with most plumping for 15 July. In previous years, arrivals have peaked in the last week of July, with return traffic peaking towards the end of August. Clearly this second group of travellers can't be expected to self-isolate for 14 days.

This *may* give some indication as to when Morocco will start to allow foreign visitors to enter the country. On the other hand, the authorities may decide to only allow Moroccan citizens and families to enter.

[Tim Cullis]

Well that glow of hope didn't last well.

Despite planning going on for the past few weeks, Operation Marharba 2020 has now been cancelled.

It was decided that the current health protocols couldn't be bypassed and these would have required placing Moroccans coming from abroad in a nine-day quarantine period. And in order to leave quarantine, the person concerned would have to take two consecutive COVID-19 screening tests that both yield negative results.

[Chris Scott]

Still spiking which may set things back.
https://www.worldometers.info/corona...ountry/morocco

[priffe]

Steadily rising number of cases in Mauretania also doesnt look good for travel for quite a while
https://www.worldometers.info/corona...ry/mauritania/

[TheWarden]

Got back from Morocco to the UK yesterday via a GNV Ferry to Sete, a drive through France and then the ferry to Newhaven.

Very noticeable as I travelled further north that the virus issues in the worse hit countries simply aren't being taken seriously.

Tanger Med departure was similar to normal but with 3 searches of vehicles for some reason. Lots of security people reinforcing the wearing of masks and social distancing. Before boarding the captain of GNV Cristal was personally checking temperatures of passengers.

On boards masks were required out of your cabin but this was ignored by many people, alaramingly more by the Europeans than the Moroccan nationals. The people travelling with dogs also roamed freely around all area of the ship letting their pets leave mess wherever the did their business..

Arriving in France, French fire brigade completed a questionnaire wih each person basically asking is you had COVID-19. No temperature checks and obviously nobody would admit if they had symptoms.

Then we were free to leave and go wherever we wanted. I don't know france terribly well but many towns and villages looked like business as normal. Hug numbers of campervans around from across Europe, I saw French, german, swiss, Austrian and dutch vehicles as I travelled north.

Before getting the ferry from Dieppe I had to sign a disclaimer saying I don't have COVID 19 and fill in the UK's idiotic online form about where I was doing my 14 day isolation. Arriving in the UK there was no screening or checks for the virus at all. Wearing of masks for passport control was required but then your asked by Border Force to remove it so they can see you face

Absolutely stunned by the behaviour of people as I dove home from Newhaven. Given the UK is one of the worst hit European countries it was astonishing to see people behaviour.

If it wasn't for a few personal reasons, I think I would have turned round and gone back to Morocco, much safer.

Oh and as I arrived in France our Embassy contacted me to say they had got me a place on a ferry with Balearia on the 1st despite them getting a ferry via them with GNV and me confirming that with them last week. The incompetence is staggering.

I've been asked by the Ambassador to provide feedback on the Embassy performance so I will be writing a detailed report with areas for improvement shortly

[Tim Cullis]

As of yesterday there's apparently still upwards of 20 British owned vehicles in Morocco.

[TheWarden]

Is that the figure the embassy are aware of, or from Moroccan customs?

Personally I know of over 20 vehicles there and 75% aren't registered with the embassy

[levelo]

Glad to hear that you made it back to the UK.
Yeah, lots of folks here in France are not taking the virus seriously, and it is a shame.
What next ? A few days days off by the ocean to recharge your batteries ?

[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by TheWarden

Got back from Morocco to the UK yesterday...

Welcome home. That was quite an ordeal you went through, my 3 week quarantine in Tunisia & subsequent 2 week quarantine in Canada pales by comparison.

Michael

[TheWarden]

Thanks, to be honest the lockdown in Morocco wasn't an ordeal but an absolute pleasure. We had a great group of 38 refugees at the campsite who all got on fantastically, lots of freedom as well.

The ordeal was dealing with the Embassy and all the bad information circulating on social media and forums.

Whats next? well that depends on Covid-19 now, after 3 months relaxing by the ocean (and I live next to the ocean in the UK) I could do with some desert R&R. But hopefully I will be back out in Morocco in October with some customers

[RussG]

Originally Posted by TheWarden

Thanks, to be honest the lockdown in Morocco wasn't an ordeal but an absolute pleasure. We had a great group of 38 refugees at the campsite who all got on fantastically, lots of freedom as well.

The ordeal was dealing with the Embassy and all the bad information circulating on social media and forums.

Whats next? well that depends on Covid-19 now, after 3 months relaxing by the ocean (and I live next to the ocean in the UK) I could do with some desert R&R. But hopefully I will be back out in Morocco in October with some customers

Welcome back
We've been lucky as we live in a rural area but some people's actions (encouraged by Billy Bunter telling them to return to "hustle and bustle" has been shocking) However we live on the border of England and Wales. So as of July the 4th when the pubs open in our local town things could turn nasty. For non UK people, Wales remains in lockdown but England is a free for all:-( more so from July 4th.
Anyway at this rate I may see you back in Morocco in October, but who knows!

And thanks for your updates (and Tim) on here, as you say lots of junk, rumour, weird opinions around.