Morocco Bans Social Events as Omicron Fears Grow

Arab World

December 5th, 7:16am

Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat

A man wearing a protective face mask walks on an empty street, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Casablanca, Morocco March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Morocco has banned all festivals and cultural and artistic events to prevent the rapid spread of the new omicron variant. “Based on legal provisions relating to the management of the health emergency state, and strengthening of the necessary preventive measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government decided to ban all kinds of festivals and cultural and artistic events,” a government press statement published on Friday in the Maghreb Arabe Press (MAP) said. The statement didn’t specify the date when the ban would enter into force. Notably, Morocco is famous for its music, dance, and cinema festivals. According to the statement, the government urged citizens and residents to get vaccinated and adhere to the preventive measures the government has put to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On Monday, Morocco closed its air and sea borders for two weeks. This strict measure caused concern that the recovery of the vital tourism sector might be undermined.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3342196/morocco-bans-social-events-omicron-fears-grow