Morocco Eases Lockdown in Low-Risk Areas, Extends Restrictions in Major Cities

Closed to the world for nearly three months, Morocco has decided to gradually ease its lockdown measures. The strict and rigorous restrictions imposed in some high-risk cities are criticized by the residents.
Between resignation and disappointment, the populations of the major cities are experiencing the new extension of the state of emergency decided by the government, reports AFP. With these new measures, Morocco is divided into two zones due to health disparities. The first zone, which accounts for 61% of the population, records 23% of confirmed cases of coronavirus. It is gradually regaining almost normal life: deconfinement, circulation without a special permit, reopening of outdoor public spaces...
As for the second zone, which remains confined until further notice, it includes the major cities, with 39% of the population: the capital Rabat, the economic heart of the country Casablanca, the main tourist destination Marrakech or the large port of Tangier. To date, it accounts for 87% of the 8,455 infections recorded in the kingdom since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. With this extension of the state of emergency, wearing a mask remains mandatory, gatherings are prohibited, mosques, cinemas and theaters are closed, restaurants and cafes are limited to take-out orders.
For the Prime Minister, Saad-Eddine El Othmani, the lockdown is certainly difficult, but it will have allowed Morocco to save lives. According to him, health indicators are improving with the mortality rate stabilizing at 2.5% and 92% of mild or asymptomatic cases. "But the situation differs from one region to another, from time to time a focus of contamination appears," he lamented before some deputies.
While in small towns it is the joy of resuming old habits, in the big cities it is total disappointment and the fear of remaining confined indefinitely. On social networks, the hashtag #zone1 has taken the lead in trends on Twitter in Morocco. For now, travel remains subject to special authorization, the ban on going out for children and practicing outdoor sports, not to mention the ban on visiting the hairdresser.
More than two months after the borders were closed, the government has still not repatriated all its compatriots stranded abroad. Apart from a few thousand who have returned, the majority are still stranded far from their families. While Tunisia has decided to open its borders to tourists on June 27, Morocco is in a state of expectation. Pending the resumption, Rabat has deployed a whole range of aid for paralyzed companies, employees on temporary layoff and informal workers.
Related Articles
-
Drug Baron Shootout: Moroccan Police Raid Ends in Dramatic Arrest of Cocaine Kingpin
11 August 2025
-
Royal Summer Splash: King Mohammed VI Stuns Beachgoers with Jet Ski Adventure
11 August 2025
-
Moroccan Customs Thwart Major Drug Smuggling Operation: Frenchman Caught with 34kg Hashish
11 August 2025
-
Moroccan Tycoons Dominate Forbes’ Arab Billionaires List: Banking, Real Estate, and Energy Empires Soar
11 August 2025
-
Sahrawi Officials Accuse Morocco of Destabilizing Maghreb with Foreign Support
11 August 2025