Coronavirus: Morocco Extends State of Emergency Until April 20

Morocco declared a state of Emergency on March 19 as part of the measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Members of the Moroccan government during a weekly meeting

Safaa Kasraoui is a journalist at Morocco World News.

Rabat – In a further attempt to stem the spread ofcoronavirus, Morocco’s government announced today, March 22, its plans to extend thestate of emergency, which came into force on March 20, for a month.

A statement from the government council on Sunday announced that the state of emergencywill endon April 20, 2020.

The government council approved the draft law 2.20.292 that seeks strict legal actions against anyone who defies the state of emergency, in accordance with Article 81 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution.

Anyone who defies thestate of emergencyand the orders of Moroccan authorities will receive a sentence ranging between one to three months in prison. Convicted suspects will have to pay a fine ranging between MAD 300 to 1300 ($30 to $132).

The draft law bolsters the Moroccan government’s measures in containing the spread of COVID-19 and will enable authorities to declare a localized state of emergency in any region where the lives of citizens are acutely threatened.

The month-long state of emergency seeks to ensure that all citizens and residents of Morocco are home safe. The measure under the approved draft law 2.20.293 will also prohibit people from leaving their house except for emergency cases and to ban all social gatherings.

The decision to enact the new draft laws comes just a day after videos on social media show masses of people defying the state of emergency in several cities on Saturday night in Fez, Sale, Tetouan, and Tangier.