Experts Urge Morocco to Reopen Borders Amid Omicron Concerns

Calls for the reopening of Moroccan borders have been multiplying in recent days. In a statement to Assabah, Professor Azeddine Ibrahimi, director of the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine of Rabat and the MedBiotech center, believes that it is time to reopen the borders, while maintaining preventive measures at airports and other border points, as part of the preventive and anticipatory policy followed by Morocco since the beginning of this epidemic. Certainly, this policy prioritizes the preservation of public health, but with the least possible damage on the economic, social, educational and psychological levels, while the total and prolonged closure of Moroccan borders has a very high cost, argues the specialist.

He also notes that the closure of borders has been a fatal blow to tourism, while some countries in the region, such as Egypt and Turkey, for example, have decided to keep their borders open and thus benefit from a constant flow of tourists with all the economic fallout that this entails. According to this member of the scientific committee, the entry of tourists who meet the required health conditions does not present any risk to the current epidemiological situation of the kingdom. "On the contrary, it would even revive a moribund tourism sector," he assures, adding that the decision to close the borders was wise, but is no longer profitable for Morocco. Whether on the health, epidemiological, economic or social levels, this decision is also not good for the image of the kingdom, the specialist believes.

Taieb Himdi, a physician and health policy specialist, agrees. According to him, tourists and Moroccans residing abroad who have a vaccination pass and/or can produce a certificate attesting to a negative virus test before entering Morocco present much less risk than a citizen who is not fully vaccinated and who disregards barrier measures. Given the "current situation of the spread of the virus in the kingdom, the opening of borders and the entry into Morocco of foreigners and Moroccans residing abroad who meet the required health conditions, does not present a high risk for the health situation," he assures.