Morocco has announced new restrictions in major cities to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The country is stopping people from entering and leaving some of its biggest cities following a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The interior and health Ministries said on Sunday some of the cities to be locked down include Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Meknes.

According to the health ministry 633 new COVID-19 cases were recorded as at Sunday.

It represented one of the biggest daily rises so far, according to the authorities with the country’s total confirmed cases now hitting 20,278, with 313 deaths and 16,438 recoveries.

Morocco eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago, but still decided not to open his air borders for international flights.

Mask-wearing is mandatory in Morocco, a measure that will remain until August 10.

The authorities though want to impose restrictions on a region-by-region basis as they observe the pandemic.

Meanwhile Africa has recorded over 827,000 Covid-19 cases with 483,000 recoveries and 17,000 deaths.

Health experts have warned that with many countries reopening their economies and easing restrictions, cases could spike if protocols are not observed.