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.



Israel Bombs Power Station and Two Ports Controlled by Houthis in Yemen

 Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Bombs Power Station and Two Ports Controlled by Houthis in Yemen

 Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iran-backed Houthi militias were "paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us".

A series of airstrikes targeted the Red Sea port of Ras Issa and six others the major port of Hodeidah, said Al Masirah TV, the main news outlet run by the Houthis, while Harf Sufyan District in Amran province also came under air attack.

An employee at the Ras Issa port was killed and six others were injured, the outlet said.

Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said airstrikes on the Ras Issa port targeted oil storage facilities in the vicinity of shipping berths, though no merchant vessels were reported to have been damaged.

The supply of petroleum derivatives is stable, the Houthi government spokesperson Hashem Sharaf Eddine said after the attack.

Thirteen airstrikes also targeted the Hezyaz central power station in Yemen's capital Sanaa, Al Masirah TV reported. It said three citizens had been injured, including a worker at Hezyaz, and a number of homes had been damaged.

An Israeli military statement confirmed the targets, saying the power station served as a "central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities". It added that the targets struck were examples of the "Houthis' exploitation of civilian infrastructure".

Within the past 48 hours, the Houthis have fired three drones at Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv and more drones and missiles at the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said.

The Houthis have targeted Israel, hundreds of kilometers to the north as well as international shipping in waters near Yemen since November 2023 in support of Palestinians at war with Israel in Gaza.

Israel has responded with airstrikes in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, as have British and US forces in the region.

Netanyahu said last month Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis.