COVID-19 Surge Prompts Travel Bans in High-Risk Areas as Morocco Braces for Economic Impact

The record of contaminations has worried the government to the point of confining its economy again, reports l’Économiste. On Sunday, the decision to ban travel between eight high-risk areas was taken by the health authorities.

This decision follows the daily record of contaminations recorded on Saturday since the beginning of the pandemic (811 infected people). To prevent other outbreaks of contamination, a few days before the celebration of Eid al-Adha, known as a period of transhumance, the Minister of Health has called on Moroccans to be mature and responsible to avoid unnecessary visits and physical contact. He also called on them to ensure compliance with preventive measures during family gatherings. For now, social distancing remains one of the main measures to be respected to limit the spread of the virus.

The minister had announced a re-containment "in case of non-compliance with preventive and safety measures". According to him, the virus is still present and is waiting for the slightest opportunity to spread further given the relaxation of barrier measures observed within the population.

According to the most optimistic scenarios, GDP should fall by 5% and the unemployment rate rise to 14.8%. The resurgence of cases and a possible re-containment of the economy would sweep away all its forecasts and delay the recovery, the same daily specifies. Moreover, all forecasting bodies anticipate a V-shaped growth scenario with a rebound in the economy as early as 2021, provided there is no second wave of contamination.