The Ministry of Interior announced in a press release dated March 19, 2020 that it had been decided to declare a state of health emergency and the restriction of traffic from Friday March 20, 2020 at 6:00 pm in order to preserve the health and safety of Moroccan society and in a spirit of national responsibility and solidarity and after the observation of the contamination of citizens residing in Morocco by the new coronavirus.
The state of health emergency means the taking of exceptional measures imposing the limitation of the movement of citizens.
Leaving home will be conditioned by obtaining an official document from the authorities, under the following conditions:
- go to work for administrations and open establishments, including companies, factories, agricultural work, premises and commercial spaces related to the daily life of the citizen, pharmacies, banking and financial sectors, stations supply of hydrocarbons, clinics and medical offices, agencies of telecommunications companies, essential liberal professions and premises for the sale of hygiene products. Travel will be authorized only for people whose presence at the workplace is necessary and will be conditioned by the issuance of a certificate duly signed and stamped by their superiors at work;
- travel for the supply of products necessary for daily life in the perimeter of the place of residence, or to receive the necessary care or to obtain the drugs from pharmacies.
All citizens are required to comply with these mandatory measures, under penalty of sanctions provided for by the Criminal Code.
In this context, the local authorities and the public forces, national security, royal gendarmerie and auxiliary forces, will ensure the application of the control measures with firmness and responsibility against any person on the public highway.
The Interior Ministry insisted on the responsibility of every citizen to protect his family and his society by ensuring that everyone adhered to preventive measures and hygienic rules to contain the virus.
Sources: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Department of Communication, News, March 19, 2020, “Covid-19: declaration of a state of health emergency in Morocco from Friday at 6 pm”: http://www.maroc.ma/fr/actualites/covid-19-declaration-de-letat-durgence-sanitaire-au-maroc-partir-de-vendredi-18h00-et
Ministry of the Interior, Communiqué, March 19, 2020: http://covid19.interieur.gov.ma/actualites.aspx
