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Morocco Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

Moroccan police officers remind sellers to respect the security measures such as distancing and wearing a mask, in a market of Casablanca, Morocco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP)
Moroccan police officers remind sellers to respect the security measures such as distancing and wearing a mask, in a market of Casablanca, Morocco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP)
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Morocco Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

Moroccan police officers remind sellers to respect the security measures such as distancing and wearing a mask, in a market of Casablanca, Morocco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP)
Moroccan police officers remind sellers to respect the security measures such as distancing and wearing a mask, in a market of Casablanca, Morocco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP)

Morocco has expanded COVID-19 vaccinations to all citizens aged between 55 and 60, the Health Ministry announced on Monday.

The inoculation drive was launched in late January and prioritized medical staff, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

In order to reach the aspired herd immunity in the kingdom, the health ministry urged targeted citizens to sign up to receive the vaccine by registering through the dedicated website or sending an SMS to 1717.

It stressed the importance of respecting preventive measures before, during and after being vaccinated to contribute to the authorities’ efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Sunday that the vaccination pace in recent weeks has been slow.

He attributed this to the “competition” over the provision of vaccines, which affects the supply. However, he expressed hope to receive new batches of COVID-19 doses soon.

Commenting on the measures taken by the authorities during Ramadan, Othmani said they have proven efficient as demonstrated in the decline in the numbers of coronavirus cases during the first 10 days of the holy fasting month.

Authorities have implemented a nationwide night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am, starting from the first day of Ramadan.

According to the latest Health Ministry briefing on the pandemic, 4,723,635 people have taken the first dose of the vaccine so far, while 4,217,485 citizens have taken both shots.

Morocco recorded 326 new coronavirus cases and four deaths, taking the toll to 8,992 since the beginning of the pandemic.

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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

Medical aid agency MSF said on Friday it has been forced to suspend its activities at one of the few remaining hospitals in southern Khartoum due to repeated attacks, cutting off yet another lifeline for those who remain in the Sudanese capital.
War has been raging in Sudan since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The hospital, which lies in territory controlled by the RSF, helped treat the victims of frequent airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as hundreds of malnourished women and children in an area where two neighborhoods have been judged at risk of famine, reported Reuters.
"In the 20 months MSF teams have worked alongside hospital staff and volunteers, Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients," MSF said in a statement.
"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."
The fighting in Sudan has cut off up to 80% of hospitals in conflict areas, where millions who cannot afford to escape the violence remain. Civilians face frequent air and artillery fire and hunger as supplies are blocked by both warring parties and prices skyrocket.
Medical facilities, including MSF-supported ones that have suspended operations, have frequently come under attack by RSF soldiers demanding treatment or looting supplies. Bashair Hospital has served more than 25,000 people, MSF said, including 9,000 hurt by blasts, gunshot wounds, and other violence.
"Sometimes dozens of people arrived at the hospital at the same time after shelling or airstrikes on residential areas and markets," MSF said in the statement, citing an incident on Sunday where an airstrike one kilometer away drove 50 people to the emergency room, 12 of them already dead.