Morocco bans UK flights due to Covid cases rising

Morocco has banned flights to and from the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Several UK airlines and holiday companies have been told by the Moroccan government that flights will be suspended from 23:59 BST on Wednesday until further notice.

Flights between Morocco and Germany and the Netherlands have also been suspended.

The BBC has contacted the Moroccan embassy and tourism office, as well as the UK Foreign Office for comment.

Latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that Morocco's weekly rate of reported coronavirus cases on 14 October stood at 10.4 per 100,000 people, compared with 445.5 per 100,000 people in the UK.

On Tuesday, the UK reported 43,738 new Covid-19 infections, with cases hitting above 40,000 for seven days in a row. The number of patients in hospital rose by 10% in a week to 7,749 on Monday.

Another 223 deaths were recorded, the largest number since March, although daily figures are often higher on Tuesdays.

EasyJet has said that it was told this morning. It has cancelled its outbound flights from the UK, Germany and Netherlands to Morocco until 30 November.

The airline had two flights operating from Manchester and Gatwick to Marrakech, which it will operate as "ferry flights" for return customers due to travel back to the UK today. It said that, ahead of receiving further guidance from the Moroccan government, it intends to fly inbound flights in the coming days as repatriation flight options.

"We are contacting all customers whose flights are cancelled with their options, which include a free of charge transfer, receiving a voucher or a refund," an EasyJet statement said.

British Airways has cancelled a flight from Heathrow to the same destination, meanwhile holiday operator Tui confirmed it had also been contacted by the Moroccan government.

Tui said: "We are contacting customers in departure date order to discuss their options, which include amending to another destination or a full refund. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this time."

The flight ban will affect families in England and Wales who booked half-term holidays in Morocco for next week.

Morocco's National Office of Airports said the policy will remain in place "until further notice".