Imposing a travel ban to and from eight cities was «difficult and crucial», Morocco's head of government says

Head of government, Saadeddine El Otmani, said Tuesday in Rabat that the decision to impose a travel from Sunday evening to and from eight cities was «difficult, tough and crucial».

El Otmani stressed that, unfortunately, the epidemiological situation is worrying, especially after the increasing number of infections and the increase in the number of serious cases and deaths.

He also explained that this decision was a difficult one, since it had to take into consideration both the preservation of the health of the inhabitants of the eight cities, but also of the population in the other regions of the Kingdom, and also the social and human conditions of a number of citizens, in addition to certain economic constraints.

The decision was harsh because it affected large sections of the population because it took place immediately after a series of relief measures, which led some citizens to complain, he said.

The decision, which was discussed over several days, was crucial to avoid serious consequences, he said, explaining that the risk of the virus spreading was high for families, villages and towns across the country, especially since about 2.5 million citizens would be on the move during this period.