Morocco decided to ban all travelers from China, regardless of their nationality, from entering its territory from January 3, due to the unprecedented wave of covid-19 cases in the Asian country.
The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained this Saturday, in a statement, that the country has been closely following the evolution of the pandemic in China in recent weeks and has announced this measure, which goes beyond other countries that have limited to imposing restrictions. as tests for passengers and crew from that Asian country.
“To avoid the consequences of a new wave of infections in Morocco, the Moroccan authorities have decided to prohibit the entry into national territory of all travelers from China, regardless of their nationality,” the note reads.
The measure “does not in any way affect the close friendship between the two peoples and the strategic association between them”, safeguards the Moroccan government.
The health situation in Morocco is under control, with the official record today of 47 new cases, bringing the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 1,271,595 people.
Some surveys carried out by the Chinese health authorities indicate that up to 60% of the population in some localities have recently been infected with SARS-CoV-2, but they have downplayed the danger of active variants of the coronavirus.
The World Health Organization expressed “concern” about the evolution of covid-19 in China and asked, after a meeting today, the Chinese authorities to report periodically and in real time on the epidemiological situation in the country.
Beijing responded that it has been sharing its data “in an open, timely and transparent manner” since the start of the pandemic.
China is experiencing an unprecedented wave of infections by the coronavirus responsible for the covid-19 respiratory disease, which has worsened since the strong restrictions, with confinements and random tests, abruptly ended in early December.
Official statistics today indicate more than 7,000 new cases and only one death from covid-19, but these data are considered unrealistic, even compared to the register of hospitals and morgues that have been overcrowded for weeks.
Countries like Spain, Italy, France, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan or the United States are imposing sanitary measures on travelers arriving from China, including tests on arrival at their airports.
The Portuguese government is preparing covid-19 control measures for passengers coming from China, which will be implemented if necessary, the Minister of Health announced this Friday, rejecting “alarmism” in the face of the recent increase in infections in the Chinese population.
As the official said this Friday, the executive is following the evolution of the covid-19 in China, which “is cause for concern”, maintaining a “close dialogue with other European countries, specifically within the framework of the European Union and with international health organizations.
Source: Observadora
