Marruecos: España no aplica control "estricto" en aeropuertos contra la COVID

The Moroccan Health Ministry said it opted for Portugal rather than Spain to repatriate its nationals stranded after the closure of borders since 29 November after finding that the latter country does not apply "strict" controls at its airports to detect infected cases of COVID-19.

"After observing the travel procedures, it was found that the competent Spanish authorities do not carry out the proper and strict control of the health status of passengers at the time of boarding at their airports," the Moroccan ministry said in a statement.

The note underlined that it has noted the lack of the "required control of the vaccination certificates" of passengers, and added that it has detected several cases of COVID-19 infection on arrival or transit from Morocco from Spain.

The same source added that travel from Spain to Morocco "poses a threat to the health of Moroccan citizens and undermines the health gains made".

With a 24-hour notice, Morocco closed its borders on 29 November to prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant and authorised special flights to several European countries so that foreigners blocked in the Maghreb country could leave.

For Moroccans who were abroad when the borders were closed, the Moroccan government announced the launch of flights operated by the Royal Air Maroc airline from Portugal, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which will end on 23 December.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan government also announced a ban on parties and special programmes in hotels, restaurants and tourist establishments on New Year's Eve, when restaurants and cafes will close at 23:30 and a night-time curfew will be established between midnight on 31 December and six in the morning on 1 January.

In a statement, the Moroccan government announced these new restrictions to prevent the spread of the epidemic, and asked citizens to comply with the other health measures imposed in the country.

The announcement comes after the first infection of the omicron variant was detected last week in Morocco, which is keeping the pandemic under control for now after emerging from the third wave that hit the country this summer and left a hundred people dead every day. It is currently registering between one and four deaths per day.

Since 20 October, it has also been compulsory to present a COVID certificate to enter public and private buildings in Morocco, which has kept its borders closed since 29 November to prevent the arrival of the omicron variant.

This border closure, which has no end date, has led to a halt in tourism in the country, a sector that was expected to recover this winter with Christmas trips that traditionally fill the hotels of cities such as Marrakech, where it is compulsory to present the vaccination certificate to enter.