Coronavirus: Morocco mulls more preventive measures

Although no coronavirus has been detected or confirmed in Morocco, the health authorities of the North African Kingdom are planning a set of preventive measures against the deadly Covid-19, which has so far sickened 89,000 people and killed more than 3,000 others in the world.

As this virus continues to spread around the globe, edging closer to Moroccan borders, with two cases reported in Egypt and three in Algeria, the local national ad-hoc committee says it monitors closely the epidemiological situation internationally and affirms it will take additional measures if necessary.

These measures include the postponement of sports & cultural events, the cancellation of mass gatherings in addition to travel bans to and from risk countries.

Last month, 167 Moroccans, mostly students, were repatriated from Wuhan, China, and quarantined for 20 days before they were discharged from hospitals after multiple negative tests.

Morocco has also asked its citizens to abide by the Saudi decision to temporarily suspend visits to Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina over coronavirus fears, describing the Saudi measure as “judicious and responsible” and in line with the preventive measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The death toll in China rose to 2,912 and confirmed cases to 80,026. The death toll is also creeping up in other countries. Iran has the second highest number of deaths, with 66 reported deaths, Australia reported its first Covid-19 death over the weekend. Infections nearly doubled over the weekend in Italy, Europe’s hardest-hit country with nearly 1,700 cases and 34 reported deaths.