The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Morocco on 2 March 2020, when the first case COVID-19 case was confirmed in Casablanca. It involved a Moroccan living in Bergamo, Italy who arrived from Italy on 27 February 2020.
A second case was confirmed later that same day involving an 89-year-old woman Moroccan living in Italy who had returned to Morocco on 25 February 2020 from Bologna, Italy. She subsequently died on 10 March 2020.
After the two cases confirmed on 2 March 2020, a third case was confirmed on 10 March 2020, a French tourist who arrived in Marrakesh. On 11 March 2020, it was announced that the wife and daughter of the French tourist also tested positive, bringing the total cases to 5.
On 13 March, the government decided to shut down all schools, effective March 16 until further notice.
Morocco declared a state of medical emergency on 19 March 2020, to take effect on 20 March 2020 at 6:00 pm local time and to remain in effect until April 20, 2020 with possibility to extend for a longer period.