North African nation is first in the world to prohibit China arrivals outright while most of the others require pre-departure tests.
«:»Morocco has banned all arrivals from China, becoming the first African country to introduce restrictions amid growing alarm over a Covid-19 surge in the aftermath of Beijing’s abrupt relaxation of pandemic measures. The decision comes close on the heels of Canada and Australia mandating preflight Covid-19 tests for travellers from China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The United States, Britain, Israel, Spain, France, Japan, South Korea and India had already taken similar measures. But Morocco is the first nation to impose an outright ban. Anyone arriving from China would be denied entry from January 3, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Sunday. “In light of the evolution of the health situation related to Covid-19 in China … and in order to avoid a new wave of contaminations in Morocco and all its consequences … access to the territory of the Kingdom of Morocco [will be prohibited] to all travellers coming from the People’s Republic of China, regardless of their nationality,” a statement from the ministry in Rabat said. WHO wants more information from China on Covid infections The latest measures “do not in any way affect the strong friendship between the two peoples, and the strategic partnership between the two countries”, it added.
