Suspension of flights between Morocco and Algeria among coronavirus fears

Morocco and Algeria have mutually agreed to suspend air travel between each other as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to Algerian media, the country's airline company Air Algérie announced Thursday evening that this measure has been taken in concert between the governments of the two countries which will both apply it to curb contagion. 

Consequently, the national Moroccan carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has also announced in a press release that it was suspending flights to and from Algeria. 

In Algeria, these measures are part of a bigger plan announced Thursday by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The latter has ordered the closure of schools, universities, Koranic schools, zawiyas (religious brotherhoods) and kindergartens. 

Earlier today, Morocco implemented the same travel ban with Spain, suspending flights and maritime traffic from and to the Iberian kingdom.

Earlier this week, RAM has also suspended flights to and from Italy after the country implemented a major nationwide lockdown due to a coronavirus outbreak. 

In Morocco, air traffic is not the only means of transportation affected by the pandemic. On Thursday evening, the Ministry of Equipment, Transportation, Energy and Water put restrictions on access to the country's major ports for passenger, leisure and cruise ships.