Morocco Considers Easing COVID Travel Restrictions, PCR Test Requirement May End

While many European countries have lifted all restrictive measures, including the requirement to present a PCR test, Morocco is still playing the card of maximum vigilance. On April 28, the state of health emergency was extended until May 31. "The definitive lifting of restrictions is not desirable for the moment," said Mouad Merabet, coordinator of the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. He explained to L’Opinion that the ideal would be not to follow the example of countries that have lifted restrictions, especially since the World Health Organization (WHO) has itself criticized this approach.

Saïd Moutaouakil, a member of the scientific committee, does not share this view. According to him, there is no health justification to maintain the conditions currently applied to travelers from abroad. He also made it known that the scientific committee would be in favor of easing these conditions. "The definitive lifting of the test is not to be excluded," he said, however specifying that the government has not yet made this decision. "We are still awaiting the decision of the ministerial commission," Saïd Moutaouakil continued.