Morocco’s coronavirus cases surpass 50,000

A grim milestone was reached in Morocco when cases surpassed 50,000 with 1556 cases on Saturday and 1.537 on Sunday, putting a strain on the country’s health system.

Deaths rose by 30 Sunday to 888 people while total recoveries stood at 36,343, leaving some 15,118 cases still active with a recovery rate dropping to 69%. The infection rate stands at 28,88 % and that of fatality at 1.7 % .

The rise in cases is raising fears of re-imposing a second complete lockdown with stricter restrictions, according to authorities, which reinforced precautionary measures by closing cities and neighborhoods with high infections.

Speaking on August 20, King Mohammed VI shared alarming concerns regarding the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases and deaths across Morocco.

He insisted that the fight against the virus is not yet over, warning that Morocco may have to reimpose a stricter lockdown if the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase. He also reminded citizens of the importance of respecting the preventive measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.

“The deterioration of the health situation today is unfortunate and does not leave much room for optimism. Whoever tells you otherwise — Dear Citizens — is simply lying to you,” the King said.

The country’s public schools will deliver distance learning to help contain the virus.

Morocco’s most hit regions are Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Fez and Tangier.

On Saturday, critical cases stood at 186 including 30 under artificial respiration.