Morocco to ban travellers from China over Covid spread

Morocco said Saturday it will ban entry to all travellers from China, where cases of Covid-19 have exploded.

Other nations, including France, Britain and Morocco's cross-strait neighbour Spain, have said they will require negative Covid tests for all travellers from mainland China.

But the Moroccan foreign ministry said in a statement that authorities in the North African country "decided to forbid access to territory of the Kingdom of Morocco for all travellers, whatever their nationality, coming from the People's Republic of China."

The ban will take effect on Jan 3 and last until further notice, "in order to avoid a new wave of contaminations in Morocco and all its consequences," the ministry said.

China said in December that it would end mandatory quarantine for people arriving in the country and that it had abandoned strict measures to contain the virus.