Moroccan Central Bank Addresses COVID-19 Concerns Over Currency Handling

Banknotes are very handled these days of pandemic. Many Moroccan citizens use tissues to withdraw banknotes at ATMs, for fear of being contaminated, since the detection of the first case at the beginning of the month.

Le360 looked into the probable contamination of the coronavirus through banknotes. That’s why he wanted to know if there is a system at the level of Bank Al-Maghrib to sterilize banknotes in order to avoid contamination.

A source close to Bank Al-Maghrib said that at the beginning of the pandemic, new banknotes accounted for more than 95% of banknote withdrawals. With the situation, used banknotes are no longer put into circulation by the sorting centers. The latter are content with the counting and authentication operations of banknotes for all banks, before returning them to Bank Al-Maghrib.

Following the directives of the [World Health Organization (WHO), specialists from the International Currency Association (ICA) have carried out numerous studies which reveal that the risk of contamination through banknotes is lower than handshakes and physical exchanges. That’s why it’s recommended to always wash your hands several times a day after any handling in public places.