COVID-19: Screening operation for 30,000 middle & high school students in Morocco

Morocco’s Ministry of Health has announced that a screening operation for the Coronavirus new variant (SARS-CoV-2) will be carried out for 30,000 middle and high school students in six regions across the country.

The decision seeks to estimate the level of the spread of COVID-19 among young Moroccans under 18, according to the ministry.

As part of the national plan for monitoring and responding to SARS-CoV-2 and following the appearance of new variants of the virus, characterized by greater transmission among young people, a screening operation among middle and high school students will be carried out in the regions of Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Houceima, Fez-Meknes, Marrakech-Safi and Souss-Massa, the health ministry said.

The operation will be carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of National Education.

Morocco has not reported any new COVID-19 variant to date as was the case in a number of countries, including the UK and Denmark.

According to the UK, the new strain is more contagious than earlier variants of the virus, it is not more deadly.

Morocco has so far recorded 452,988 coronavirus cases and 7,767 fatalities.