Tangier Lockdown Continues as Morocco’s COVID-19 Cases Surge

In Tangier, it is now an ordinary scene. Dozens of people are crowding in front of the colonial building of the Pasha, begging for an exit permit, observes Ouest France.

The city of the strait is difficult to access since the beginning of confinement in the kingdom, which now has 66,588 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,253 deaths. It is "impossible to enter or leave the city," reports the French media. Tolerated movements are only related to "urgent medical reasons or professional reasons." We remember, on the eve of Eid al-Adha, the measure of prohibition planned for two weeks concerned eight cities including Tangier, Tetouan, Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech. However, today, this measure is still in effect in Tangier, despite the many inconveniences caused to the population.

In addition, impressive devices are erected at all the exits of the city. To deter "the die-hards and the hot heads", the army has not spared the means. It has lined up "impressive armored vehicles to patrol the city," observes the same source.

In this painful atmosphere that makes the daily life of the people of Tangier difficult, some die-hards still manage to leave the city without authorization and without being arrested by the police. This is the case of Ahlam Monir, a cleaning lady: "I haven’t seen my daughter and grandchildren for six months. I begged, with tears in my eyes, the agent, who finally agreed to let me take the train. People are mentally and physically exhausted. How hard it is!" she confides.