Morocco repatriates several of their nationals from Wuhan

In the race to repatriate their nationals from the epicenter of the Coronavirus, African countries like Morocco have decided to bring their citizens back to the fold by special flights.

167 Moroccans were able to leave the city of Wuhan, where the Coronavirus epidemic, which is spreading more and more worldwide, started. The 167 passengers, including 52 women, accompanied by a mixed medical team (civil and military) were taken on board a Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight.

They landed on Sunday morning at Benslimane airport, between Rabat and Casablanca. The RAM had also announced Thursday the suspension of its flights to Beijing, from January 31 to February 29, “due to the sharp drop in demand”.

Upon arrival, the returnees were taken to dedicated sites, includ ing the Sidi Saïd hospital in Meknes and the Mohamed-V military hospital in Rabat. They will remain there for 20 days under close medical supervision,” according to the Moroccan health ministry.

To date, the Moroccan authorities say they have not recorded any case of the virus, which has infected more than 14,000 people since December, including more than 300 deaths, according to the latest report published on Sunday.

In the Maghreb, Algeria announced on Sunday that a plane of its national airline, Air Algerie, with specialized medical staff on board, took off in the night for China. Libyan, Tunisian and Mauritanian nationals will also be repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan alongside the Algerians.

In the South of the Sahara, several countries are preparing to return their nationals, many of whom are studying in China.