COVID-19 - Morocco Master Thread

[TheWarden]

Morocco's COVID Scientific committee meet today to discuss the situation, the outcome will then be reviewed at tomorrows government meetings.

The current 2 week closure ends on Monday so expect to see an update following these meetings.

Some press outlets have been publishing news that travel will resume next week but its just rumour until we hear from the government

[TheWarden]

Rumour mill on overdrive today, some news outlets reporting the Committee has recommended the reopening from Monday and others saying it will be extended. EDIT the Ministry of Health has now confirmed these reports are fake

As ever until the gov announcement don't believe anything. If things do open I very much doubt it will be a full opening of all borders and travel

[TheWarden]

Travel suspension extended until the 31st December 2021

[TheWarden]

Morocco has extended the time limit exemption for vehicles temporarily imported into the country until the 30th June 2022.

[sz_22]

Can it be considered as a hint for the borders remaining closed much longer than expected?

[TheWarden]

Not on its own, the extensions on temporary vehicle imports has always been in 6 month blocks rather than the usual monthly updates on the State of Emergency.

The Moroccan gov will probably update the SoE and border restrictions in the next 10 days or so, most likley on the 30/12/21 . Given the current situation in Europe, I expect to see the closures remain in place for a while longer.

The danger they have now is this current set of travel restrictions will kill the 3rd Spring tourist season in a row now, the sudden decisions to close borders is damaging any tourist confidence about travel to Morocco without fear of becoming trapped for a while or facing a mad scramble to get expensive flights home.

[Tim Cullis]

There are now 28 confirmed cases of Omicron in Morocco with another 38 suspected cases, spread over Casablanca, Rabat and Fez-Meknes.

The 28 confirmed cases puts Morocco roughly 21 days behind the UK's Omicron infection trajectory, so following much more closely than expected.

I don't know if there's a direct connection, but recorded positive Covid tests have taken a sudden upturn this week and today 381 new cases were registered. The seven-day rolling average of cases is 219 which is 50% higher than the 137 of a week ago.

On a worrying note, Sinopharm booster doses which have been extensively deployed in Morocco are said to be less effective against Omicron, according to a Hespress article

[TheWarden]

SOE extended until end of Jan 2022.

Omicron presence in Morocco is no surprise, that horse had well and truly bolted by the time the Variant was announced!

[sz_22]

SOE only, or borders closed, no flights/ferries either?

[TheWarden]

SOE only at the moment. I expect we will hear on borders in the next week but it will very likely be an extension now.

The SOE is only the legal framework allowing the gov to impose control measures so will likely keep being extended until the pandemic is over

[Tim Cullis]

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

... recorded positive Covid tests have taken a sudden upturn this week and today 381 new cases were registered. The seven-day rolling average of cases is 219 which is 50% higher than the 137 of a week ago.

The last two days have seen daily new cases of Covid of 427 and 475 respectively with a rolling 7-day average of 287.

With the onset of winter and the fact that Omnicron variant is already spreading there seems little doubt that Morocco is starting a fresh wave of infection, albeit from a thankfully very low starting position. Deaths have also risen (six today) but a low rolling average of just 3 per day.

UPDATE 25Dec: cases in the two days since the figures above were 654 and 734, which becomes a rolling average of 423 or 137% higher than a week ago. Once again the heavily populated coastal regions are leading the way with 584 of the 734 cases in Casablanca and Rabat regions, next worst hit was Marrakech region with 87, then Agadir (Souss-Massa region) with 38.

The Moroccan authorities announced that repatriation flights for citizens/residents stranded abroad would cease on 23 December due to the fast spread of Omicron. By that date, 45 cases of Covid were detected amongst those being repatriated to Marrakech, mostly Delta or other variants, but seven of the cases were Omicron. Five serious cases have been admitted to intensive care in Marrakech.

In the period between 14 and 23 December 112 suspected cases of Omicron have been detected in Morocco.

[TheWarden]

ONDA announced flights suspended until end of January 2022

[levelo]

The Moroccan government has also decided to stop repatriating its own citizens stranded around the world until the end of January ( mostly in the Near and Middle East )...

Merry Christmas to all !

[sz_22]

Originally Posted by TheWarden

ONDA announced flights suspended until end of January 2022

GNV still showing Dec 31....but they are not famous for rapid updates..

[PanEuropean]

Hello all:

Below is an interesting chart showing a comparison between Canada, the USA and Morocco for COVID-19 infections reported since the start of the pandemic. The data comes from John Hopkins University, whom I consider to be a credible source.

The number of infections per 100,000 people reported in Morocco over the entire course of this pandemic is significantly lower than what has been reported in either Canada or the USA (the UK is off the chart, far higher than the USA).

Although the possibility exists that infection detection & recording in Morocco is not as thorough as it is in Canada and the USA, I think that is not the reason for the low incidence of infection reported in Morocco - the death rate following infection is likely the same in all 3 countries, and I don't think deaths have been off the chart in Morocco.

What I conclude from this is that perhaps the health authorities in Morocco have done the right thing - made the right decisions - with respect to closing borders and restricting movement of people in and out of the country. That's no consolation to those of us who want to travel there, but it appears to have greatly benefitted the population of Morocco.

Michael

COVID-19 Infections per 100,000 people - Canada, USA, Morocco