Moroccan Police arrested more than 4,300 people over the weekend for breaching public health emergency rules in place to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
The largest number of arrests were made in the country’s economic centre, Casablanca, and the capital Rabat. Penalties for violating measures to limit the spread of the virus include up to three months in jail and fines of up to $130 (1,300 dirhams), or both.
Last week, Morocco made wearing face masks obligatory in public. The country imposed a public health state of emergency on 19 March 2020, confining everyone to their homes except those with a permit to be out for work. Moroccans who leave their homes without wearing face masks risk prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to $126 under the new law.
To date, Morocco has reported 1888 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 129 deaths.