Casablanca Faces Potential Lockdown as COVID-19 Cases Surge, ICUs Near Capacity

Casablanca, the epicenter of the coronavirus in Morocco, has reached an occupancy rate of 55% of intensive care services and a critical threshold of 65%. This rate stands at 90% at the Casablanca University Hospital Center, according to Professor Moulay Hicham, general director of the Casablanca University Hospital Centers, during a webinar organized by the National Federation of Health (FNS) and the Moroccan Society of Medical Sciences (SMSM).

According to medical technicians, these figures are quite worrying and should lead to a new lockdown. For Prof. Majida Zahraoui, specialist in internal medicine and infectious diseases, doctors are often faced with the crucial issue of lack of space in intensive care services. "We are constantly expanding the capacity to receive patients," she specified.

As of November 2, 2020, 842 severe or critical coronavirus cases were reported, including 66 intubated cases and 477 under non-invasive ventilation. While the occupancy rate of intensive care beds is 36.5%, it is 55% in Casablanca.