Morocco to impose curfew during Ramadan
Rabat, Apr 7 (efe-epa).- Morocco will impose a night-time curfew during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starting next week to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government announced Wednesday.
“Exceptional cases” will be exempt from the restrictions that will ban people from leaving their homes between 8 pm and 6 am, according to a government statement.
The decision was taken so that Ramadan, which traditionally sees major spikes of domestic travel and Moroccans returning from abroad, can “be observed in appropriate health conditions,” it added.
During Ramadan, Moroccans usually get together for a stroll after breaking the fast or gather in large numbers at mosques to observe the nocturnal tarawih prayers.
The government has urged the people to continue following the precautionary health measures.
Morocco on 20 March 2020 declared a state of public health emergency that has since been extended, alongside several measures, including a nocturnal curfew and a suspension of flights from nearly 40 countries.
Although the pandemic is largely under control in Morocco, experts have warned of an increase in daily cases and the spread of the more infectious United Kingdom variant in seven of the country’s 12 regions.
Thus far, Morocco has reported 499,025 coronavirus cases, including 8,865 deaths.
A total of 3.9 million Moroccan people have been fully immunized against the coronavirus. EFE-EPA
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