The suspension of direct passenger flights to and from Morocco, which came into force on Nov. 29 for two weeks, will be extended until Dec. 31, announced the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC). The suspension is part of the measures taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic. "All flights to and from Morocco are suspended from Dec. 9 until at least Dec. 31," the DGAC said. Flights returning citizens from abroad will be exempted from this decision. Upon the announcement of the decision, the national airline, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), said "all flights to and from Morocco will be canceled in both directions from Dec. 9 until Dec. 31 December". The kingdom had shut all air and sea borders since Nov. 29 due to the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Minister of Health and Social Protection Khaled Ait al-Talib stated that the procedures aim at preserving the achievements made by Morocco in fighting the pandemic. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Morocco has confirmed more than 951,000 COVID cases, including 14,794 deaths.