Moroccan government extends sanitary state of emergency in light of confirmed domestic Omicron cases

The Government Council, meeting this Thursday, decided to extend the state of health emergency until January 31, 2022.

This decision was announced during a press briefing held by the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament and the official spokesman of the government, Mustapha Baitas, after the Council meeting.

Speaking on the possible extension of winter school break in light of the new Omicron variant, Baitas stated that “the government will decide on the extension in January, as it monitors the progression of the domestic sanitary situation.”

When it comes to the subject of Moroccans stranded abroad, the official reiterated that the government’s number one priority remains the safety and well being of all Moroccan citizens and residents in Morocco, saying that “the closure of borders is not an easy choice for the government, but is the necessary precaution to take.”

The decision to reopen borders is dependent on the evolution of the pandemic, in Morocco and abroad, according to Baitas, who added that “the repatriation process needs to take many factors into account, and have procedures that vary depending on the country in question.” Baitas highlighted that the government’s decisions are highly affected by the epidemiological situation of Morocco’s neighboring countries.

Regarding the possible return of stricter precautionary measures such as quarantine and restricted movement, Baitas said that “once again, it all depends on the progression of the situation, if it is worrying, the government will have to tighten the measures, and if the situation is good, the government will move more towards flexibility.”

The government council meeting saw the official inclusion of taxi drivers, farmers, and artisans into the public universal social security program, as the government passed legislation detailing the new categories.