Morocco zoned as virus restrictions are eased

The Moroccan government has eased restrictive measures imposed to curb coronavirus infections. Prime Minister Saad Dine El Othmani briefed parliament on Wednesday.

He stated that restrictions in major cities will, however, be maintained. In accordance with the easing of the lockdown and the epidemiological situation, the country has been divided into two zones.

One zone where the pandemic is almost completely under control and the other where the pandemic is not fully under control. The North African country has been on lockdown since March 20.

PM El Othmani said: “The government has approved a decree extending the state of health emergency and easing the lockdown.”

“We have decided, despite the cost of health containment, to maintain lockdown measures in areas where there are still threats and in areas where we do not yet have control of the pandemic,” he added.

• Confirmed cases = 8,537
• Number of deaths = 211
• Recoveries = 7,583
• Active cases = 743

Stats from John Hopkins Uni, valid as at June 12, 2020 at 07:00 GMT

The country’s tourism industry has been one of the most impacted due to the virus spread which led to the shutting down of major cities and tourist sites.