Morocco Imposes Instant Fines for Not Wearing Masks

People cross the street as a tram bearing a face protective mask to spread awareness on preventing the spread of coronavirus, arrives in the center of the Moroccan capital Rabat on June 16, 2020. (AFP)
People cross the street as a tram bearing a face protective mask to spread awareness on preventing the spread of coronavirus, arrives in the center of the Moroccan capital Rabat on June 16, 2020. (AFP)
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Morocco Imposes Instant Fines for Not Wearing Masks

People cross the street as a tram bearing a face protective mask to spread awareness on preventing the spread of coronavirus, arrives in the center of the Moroccan capital Rabat on June 16, 2020. (AFP)
People cross the street as a tram bearing a face protective mask to spread awareness on preventing the spread of coronavirus, arrives in the center of the Moroccan capital Rabat on June 16, 2020. (AFP)

The Moroccan authorities intend to impose fines on violators who don’t wear masks as part of measures to stem the spread of the COVID-19 disease which has brought the country’s tally to 1,500 cases in 24 hours.

Morocco’s government adopted Wednesday a draft decree that simplifies the enforcement of wearing face masks in public.

Government spokesman Saeed Amazazi said that under the amended law, offenders have the option of paying the fine in cash. In that case, the enforcement officer immediately delivers a report to the offender, which serves as a receipt for payment.

In the event that the offender is unable to pay the fine immediately, the officer grants the violator 24 hours. The offender receives a report notifying him of the police or gendarmerie department where he needs to pay the fine.

The offender then has to pay the fine at the designated office after presenting the violation report.

If the offender exceeds the 24-hour limit without paying the fine, the new decree allows the officer who recorded the violation to send a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take the appropriate legal measures.

Article 4 of the decree provides for prison sentences ranging from one to three months and a fine of MAD300 to MAD1,300 (USD30, USD130), or one of the two penalties.

Morocco has imposed wearing masks outdoors to enforce all precautionary measures that help contain the spread of the pandemic.

In a related context, the highest judicial council in Morocco exempted court personnel with low immunity, pregnant women, and critical disease patients from coming to work.

The Council attributed this decision to recent new cases among staff in courts.



Iraq's Population Reaches 45.4 Million in First Census in over 30 Years

Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
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Iraq's Population Reaches 45.4 Million in First Census in over 30 Years

Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)
Workers prepare to collect information from the public as Iraq began its first nationwide population census in decades, in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP)

Iraq's population has risen to 45.4 million, according to preliminary results from a national census, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Monday.
The census, conducted on Nov. 20, was Iraq's first nationwide survey in more than three decades, marking a crucial step for future planning and development.
Prior to the census, the planning ministry estimated the population at 43 million.
The last census, conducted in 1997, did not include the Iraqi Kurdistan region, which has been under Kurdish administration since the 1991 Gulf War.
It counted 19 million Iraqis and officials estimated there were another 3 million in the Kurdish north, according to official statistics.