Casablanca, Morocco- Driving through the streets of Morocco, medical masks have become the new standard in protection against the coronavirus, as almost everyone is already seen wearing this protective gear. After the announcement from the public authorities yesterday that this is a compulsory measure, Moroccans were quick to take action. This new regulation was put into place on April 7, 2020, as a further precaution for Morocco to protect its citizens against the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus. The number of cases has seen a steady increase from last week. As of today, Morocco has 1374 cases of the virus with 97 total deaths in total.
Face masks must now be worn by all citizens that have the authorization to leave their homes. Police can be seen at each checkpoint between cities, closely monitoring the following of this regulation. There are penalties such as fines between 300-1300 dirhams and a prison sentence of one to three months if you disobey this compulsory measure.
To make these masks available and accessible to all, a group of national manufacturers were ordered to produce the masks and they will set the price at 80 cents per unit, so the entire population will have access to them financially and there will be enough resources for everyone.
Morocco is a country that cares deeply about its citizens and is this is yet another step forward for them in minimizing the spread and number of fatalities in the worldwide battle against coronavirus. They are the first country in Africa to implement this measure. Like many other tourists, I feel very safe and thankful to be in Morocco during this worldwide pandemic, it is a country has made me feel like home during this time of global unrest. I applaud their compassion and the great efforts they are taking to protect their citizens.
