Morocco halts festivals, artistic events amid Omicron fears

Morocco has temporarily banned festivals and cultural events as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, authorities said in a statement late on Friday.

Rabat said in the statement that the move aims to "maintain the positive results the country has achieved so far", according to Morocco World News.

The communique gave no details of when the restrictions would be lifted, however urged citizens should to continue to get vaccinated and adhere to preventative measures.

Morocco has stepped up efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19 in recent weeks and days, particularly amid the discovery of the recently identified Omicron variant.

Earlier this week, authorities barred incoming passenger flights for two weeks.

"The decision has been taken because of the quick spread of the new Covid variant, Omicron, namely in Europe and Africa, and in order... to protect the health of Moroccan citizens," the committee tasked with overseeing Morocco's Covid response said in a statement at the time.

The move followed a ban on entry to travellers from South Africa and six other African nations.

Moroccan authorities also limited funeral gatherings to a maximum of 10 people.

The measures come as part of Morocco’s ongoing state of emergency introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing authorities to swiftly approve measures in response to  fast changing developments.

The kingdom has recorded over 950,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 14,500 deaths since the start of the pandemic.