Morocco Faces Pressure to Reopen Borders as Omicron Spreads, Expert Says

This is the case of expert Azeddine Ibrahimi, member of the Scientific Committee, who wrote on his Facebook page that "with the arrival of the Omicron variant and the triggering of the third wave, there is no longer any reason that justifies the continued suspension of international flights."

And to specify that "the objective of the closure of the borders was not to block the entry of the Omicron variant in a radical way, but rather to slow it down as long as possible in order to have the necessary time to study it".

However, he stressed, "the closure of the borders has allowed us to gain time in order to be better prepared to face the new wave and to know more about the new strain," specifying that the Omicron variant is less virulent and less deadly than Delta.

Consequently, Ibrahimi suggested coexisting with the pandemic and supported the idea of reopening the borders. "Foreign vaccinated travelers are no more threatening than unvaccinated Moroccans. We must face reality and adopt a more pragmatic approach in managing the health crisis," he advised.