COVID-19: Morocco’s impressive management of the crisis stands as a model – France Soir
Over the past few weeks, Morocco has been making headlines in international media and receiving nothing but praise for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its effective management of the health crisis, and the anticipation and leadership of its King.
This time the laudable comments were made by France Soir, which pointed out that Morocco, owing to the way it is managing the coronavirus epidemic, has become “a model” that “impresses” the international community.
“The Covid-19 crisis allows the world to open their eyes to various management models. In these times of crisis, many governments have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus and its unpredictable repercussions.
Morocco is doing much better than some and is even becoming a model,” underlined the French e-journal, in an analysis titled “Covid-19: Morocco, the awakening of the Atlas lion?”
“Morocco impresses not only the international community, but also Moroccans themselves”, stated the journal, noting that “the Covid-19 helped lift the veil on the various actions carried out by Morocco”.
According to France Soir “this management is due to two factors: on the one hand, foreign experiences and the time factor, and on the other hand, the modernization and digitization of Moroccan institutions that were silently underway.”
Thus, in Morocco, the time factor and the response were rapid. “While the majority of countries struggling to manage Covid-19 have not had, or taken, the time to prepare well for the health crisis, in Morocco, the danger of Covid-19 was sensed by observing the spread of the virus in Italy. Flights from Italy and the most affected countries were suspended, something impossible to do within the European Union since the borders are open. When Covid-19 invaded Europe, Morocco decided to close its borders and manage the pandemic internally,” notes France Soir.
In terms of managing the hospital and social impact of the pandemic, Morocco has “shown its human and united side”, explains the newspaper, which affirms that “the financing of the crisis has been without compromise”.
The French newspaper also surveyed the measures taken by Morocco to cope with the pandemic, equipping new hospital units and increasing the number of intensive care beds in a record time, creating a COVID-19 management fund that raised over three billion euros in a few days, and starting local production of masks, gowns and medical devices that enabled Morocco’s autonomy in this period of global shortage.
In this connection, the paper recalled that textile firms, supported by the Ministry of Industry, started producing facemasks meeting international standards and were able to manufacture 5 million masks per day.
Some firms have designed respirators, while others have been able to innovate with MIDAD, the Covid-19 Intelligent Automatic Remote Detection Mask, added the French e-journal, which also recalled how Moroccan schools and universities started providing e-learning after these institutions were closed.
Among the strengths of Morocco’s successful management of the health crisis, the paper mentioned the clear and transparent media coverage that describes the situation as it is without giving false hope. “The media, at the heart of the communication strategy, have left the controversy aside.”
France Soir also highlighted the measures taken by Morocco to support the national economy and reassure the economic fabric, including the postponement of credit and leasing deadlines, the deferral of taxes and payment of social contributions, and the establishment of credit lines with a state guarantee.
For the French e-newspaper “the Morocco of the post-coronavirus crisis is taking shape today,” amidst the awareness of the important changes that will affect future international relations.
French TV channel TF1 on its part broadcast Saturday in its prime time midday news a reporting from Casablanca titled “Morocco, an example on the management of the coronavirus epidemic.”
“Since the beginning of the health crisis, Morocco has adapted to better manage the epidemic,” states the reporter who tours a neighborhood grocery store which sells masks; textile factories which produce five million masks per day; and the Mohammed VI University hospital in Casablanca, where a unit is dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients, and other units for patients with no serious signs.
The reporter’s camera also filmed the field hospital set up by the Moroccan army in just six days before going to disadvantaged neighborhoods of Casablanca where the population “receives state aid of around a hundred euros” and food baskets delivered to their doors by associations.
Several other French media have echoed Morocco’s pro-active and forward-looking protective measures taken to counter the coronavirus outbreak along with the mobilization of the industrial fabric to supply citizens with masks.
These media include BFM TV, Le Point, Le Canard Enchainé, which have all highlighted Morocco’s success to mobilize its human, financial, technological and industrial resources in the face of the coronavirus.
The French media also hailed Morocco’s leadership in adopting a treatment protocol for Covid cases on the basis of chloroquine produced locally by pharmaceutical firm Sanofi and in making the wearing of facemasks mandatory at a time when many countries in Europe still drag their feet on the decision.
