Morocco starts repatriation of citizens stranded in Europe

Rabat - Morocco started on Wednesday the repatriation of its citizens stranded in Europe since the closure of Moroccan borders on March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three planes with 300 people on board from Malaga airport in southern Spain landed at Tetouan airport in northern Morocco, local news website Akhbar Al Yaoum reported. All the repatriated people have been transferred to classified hotels where they will spend nine days of quarantine, it added.

Authorities have mobilized medical staff and members of the security services as well as a PCR laboratory to follow up the pandemic situations of the repatriated people. Morocco has organized in May repatriation operations which has enabled the return in three weeks of 1,103 Moroccans who were stranded abroad. Morocco on Tuesday announced one-month extension of the state of health emergency until July 10 over COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 18 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Morocco on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the North African country to 8,455.