The measures come as the coronavirus continues to spread in Spain.

Rabat – After consulting with Spain’s leaders, Morocco decided today, March 12, to suspend all flights and maritime voyages to and from its closest European neighbor as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread.

The measure is in line with Morocco’s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Spain has so far confirmed 3,059 cases of the virus and 86 deaths.

Morocco’s national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), specified in a press release that its customers can postpone trips to Spain to a later date, free of charge, or cancel trips in exchange for a travel voucher of the same value as the flight ticket, valid for six months on all RAM flights.

The company invited those interested in more information about the epidemic to call Morocco’s Ministry of Health (+212 801 004 747) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (+212 537 663 300).

Morocco applied the same measure to Italy, the hardest-hit country in Europe with 15,113 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,016 deaths. RAM initially suspended flights to the cities of Venice and Milan but later extended the flight ban to the entire country.

In Morocco, the Ministry of Health has confirmed six cases of COVID-19. Each patient contracted the virus abroad.

Four patients recently arrived in Morocco from France, while two traveled from Italy.

One patient, an 89-year-old woman, died due to complications from a preexisting chronic disease. The other five patients are in quarantine in different hospitals in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fez.

The Moroccan Ministry of Health announced on March 11 that authorities have administered medical checks to more than 35,000 travelers at all land, maritime, and air crossing points in the country as of March 8.

Globally, 134,036 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, with the death toll nearing 5,000. Meanwhile, 68,898 patients around the world are reported to have recovered from the virus.