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Morocco Locks Down Major Cities after Spike in Virus Cases

Police and army officers patrol streets following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Rabat, Morocco March 23, 2020. Reuters/Youssef Boudlal
Police and army officers patrol streets following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Rabat, Morocco March 23, 2020. Reuters/Youssef Boudlal
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Morocco Locks Down Major Cities after Spike in Virus Cases

Police and army officers patrol streets following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Rabat, Morocco March 23, 2020. Reuters/Youssef Boudlal
Police and army officers patrol streets following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Rabat, Morocco March 23, 2020. Reuters/Youssef Boudlal

Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the interior and health Ministries said on Sunday.

The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Meknes.

On Sunday, the health ministry said 633 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 20,278, with 313 and 16,438 recoveries.

The country eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago, though international flights are still suspended except special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents, Reuters reported.

Morocco has carried out 1.1 million tests and has made mask-wearing mandatory.

It has also extended an emergency decree, until August 10.

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Arab World

Syria to Sign Deal to Import Electricity from Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A general view taken with a drone shows part of Idlib city, Syria June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view taken with a drone shows part of Idlib city, Syria June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah/File Photo
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Syria to Sign Deal to Import Electricity from Türkiye

FILE PHOTO: A general view taken with a drone shows part of Idlib city, Syria June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view taken with a drone shows part of Idlib city, Syria June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah/File Photo

Syria is set to sign a deal to import electricity from Türkiye through a 400-kilovolt transmission line between the two countries "soon", the Syrian state news agency cited the country's energy minister as saying on Sunday.

Syria is also working on establishing a natural gas pipeline connecting the Turkish border town of Kilis and Syria's northern city of Aleppo, minister Mohamed al-Bashir said.

"The pipeline will allow the supply of 6 million cubic meters of gas per day to power plants in Syria which will contribute in improving the country's energy situation," he added.

Syria has suffered from severe power shortages. On separate occasions, the country said it was working with partners including Gulf states, in the energy and electricity sectors.