Morocco declares general state of emergency due to Covid-19

Morocco’s Interior Ministry declared, Thursday, a general state of emergency throughout the country. The measure decrees the total containment of all Moroccans and suspends all outdoor activities.

The decision will enter into force on Friday, starting from 6 p.m., until further notice, the Interior Ministry said in a press release sent Thursday to Yabiladi.

The Ministry said that implementing a general state of emergency does not mean stifling the economy. «Any person wishing to leave their place of residence must issue an official document provided by the local authorities to justify the purpose of their presence in public», the Ministry explained.

Only citizens working in vital sectors, such as banks, gas stations, factories, the food industry, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics, telecommunication firms and shops that sell cleaning materials, are allowed to carry these documents.

Moreover, mobility is limited to the people who must be present in their workplaces, provided that they carry a certificate signed by their employers.

Also, citizens will be allowed outside only for primordial purposes such as purchasing supplies and food and getting medicine and treatment.

It is mandatory for every citizen to abide by these laws under the penalty of the law, concluded the Interior Ministry.