In order to preserve the health and safety of the Moroccan society and in a spirit of responsibility and national solidarity, and after noticing the contamination of citizens residing in Morocco by the new coronavirus, it has been decided to declare a "state of health emergency" and to restrict movement as of Friday at 6:00 p.m. until further notice, as the only inevitable means to keep the coronavirus under control, a press release from the Ministry of Interior said on Thursday.



The ministry explained that the state of health emergency does not mean stopping the economic activity, but rather taking exceptional measures imposing the limitation of the movement of citizens, adding that the fact of leaving the house will be conditioned by obtaining an official document from the authorities, according to the following conditions:



- Going to work for open administrations and establishments, including companies, factories, agricultural work, commercial facilities related to the daily life of citizens, pharmacies, banking and financial sectors, stations for hydrocarbon supply, clinics and medical offices, agencies of telecommunications companies, essential liberal professions and facilities for the sale of hygiene products.



In this regard, movement will be authorized only for people whose presence at the workplace is necessary and will be conditioned by the issuance of a certificate duly signed and stamped by their managers at work, said the press release.



- Going out to supply oneself with products necessary for daily life in the perimeter of the place of residence, or to receive the necessary care or to get medicines from pharmacies, added the same source, warning that all citizens are required to comply with these mandatory measures, under penalty of sanctions provided for in the Penal Code.



In this context, the local authorities, Public Forces, National Police, Royal Gendarmerie and Auxiliary Forces will ensure the application of control measures with firmness and responsibility against any person in the public space, underlined the press release.



The Ministry of Interior, aware of the importance of combining efforts by all, insists on the responsibility of every citizen in the protection of his family and his society by complying with all preventive measures and rules of hygiene to contain the virus.



The public authorities affirm that all the necessary means are available to successfully implement these decisions, while reassuring, once again, the citizen that they have taken all measures to preserve, at sufficient levels, the supply of foodstuffs, medicines and all vital products and to meet the needs of the daily life of citizens.



MAP 19 March 2020