Casablanca: Actions Taken by the Government to Stop the Spread of the Pandemic

On Sunday in Rabat, Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health, announced the measures imposed by the government at the level of the Casablanca prefecture. These measures are aimed at stopping the spread of the new Coronavirus (Covid-19) at the city level and also to enable health structures in the city to cope with the already contaminated cases.

In recent weeks, the numbers of coronavirus cases in Morocco have been on the rise, with a record of contamination recorded on Sunday that exceeded the 2,000 cases (2,234 cases announced), the minister warned in a statement to the press.

About 42% out of the 2,234 cases have been recorded in the Casablanca region and more specifically in the Casablanca metropolitan area, he added.

This puts Casablanca at the top of the list with a significant number of serious cases, 89 patients out of the 201 cases reported on Sunday. This represents a ratio of about 45%, he added, noting that the number of asymptomatic cases is equal to the number of symptomatic cases.

On this point, Mr. Ait Taleb urged for the respect of barrier measures, including the mandatory use of masks, physical distance and hygiene rules, which he said is the only way we can control the pandemic now, in the absence of a vaccine, he concluded.

As of Monday, September 7, the government has introduced new measures to limit the spread of the Coronavirus at the prefecture level.

This includes the closure of all exits from the prefecture and requiring an exceptional authorization from the local authorities to move to and from the prefecture, as well as the closure of all schools (primary, middle and high schools and universities).

This will include the adoption of distance learning as of this Monday. It is also the closure of local markets at 15h, cafes and shops at 20h and restaurants at 21h, in addition to the ban on night travel throughout the prefecture between 22h and 05h, except for health and safety executives, employees of vital and sensitive sectors and those of transport of goods, provided they can justify their night work, said a statement from the government.

These measures will be in effect for the next 14 days and the epidemiological situation in the city will be subject to a careful and continuous assessment to make appropriate decisions, according to the same source.