Morocco Considers Extending COVID-19 Lockdown Beyond April 20

For the Minister of the Interior, the state of health emergency will last one month, and it is up to the authorities to renew it a second time if necessary. The chances of returning to a normal way of life will depend on the progress made in the fight against the pandemic of coronavirus. Local outbreaks of virus contamination have started to appear and have reached 57% of the recorded cases, unlike the beginning of the crisis where they were imported cases from abroad. This is why it is recommended to stay at home to limit the spread of the virus.

Before waiving the confinement measure, it is important to take preliminary measures, in particular massive screening. Otherwise, a second wave of contamination is quick to arrive. And for good reason. April 25, 2020 is the date scheduled for Ramadan. A period that rhymes with community life made up of gatherings. The faithful are more numerous in mosques and other places of prayer; cafes and markets are filling up and families are inviting each other for the ftour. According to Abdelouafi Laftit, if nothing is done before this period, traditional, social and religious habits risk being suicidal. Massive screening allows to be reassured about the health of potential patients, and not to leave "false healthy" people free and contaminate citizens. It is established that an early lifting of the confinement measure will prove dangerous. All the efforts and sacrifices made to fight the virus would be in vain. Because, a peak of contamination is to be feared.

Early confinement in Morocco has been productive and has helped limit the spread of the virus. This has allowed the kingdom to record fewer cases of contamination and deaths than countries like the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom who trivialized the crisis at the outset. Tests and isolation of infected people for a period of 14 days will be necessary if the lifting of confinement were to take place on April 20, 2020. To this must be added the need to keep maritime, air and land borders closed with the countries most affected by the pandemic. Epidemiologists, warning, require a vaccine against the virus before a return to normal.

Morocco does not intend to take extended confinement measures until July 31 like Italy. Because, reassured by the effectiveness of the measures taken so far. The kingdom will certainly engage progressively in more flexible social distancing measures, as the situation is brought under control.