Morocco’s COVID-19 Death Toll Rises: Health Minister Cites Post-Lockdown Surge

"This increase in deaths is due to the observed increase in the number of infections in the post-confinement period with the entry of a number of provinces into the third phase of the spread of Covid-19," said the Minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb.

For his part, Dr. Tayeb Hamdi, a physician, researcher in health policies and systems and vice-president of the National Federation of Health, noted that "the number of deaths is increasing due to non-compliance with barrier measures," adding "that the delay in diagnosis is one of the factors causing this increase. Many cases arrive very late in a critical condition, making them difficult to recover," he stressed.

Regarding the epidemiological analysis of the national database on Covid-19, men, adults and those over 65, and those suffering from chronic diseases, are the most exposed to the risks of Covid-19 deaths. Men account for 69% of total deaths, with 55% of deaths related to chronic diseases, the minister revealed, adding that in August, after the lifting of confinement, the number of confirmed cases was an average of 1,234 cases, with 25 deaths per day, in September the number reached 2,035 cases with 35 deaths per day. Last October, it was 3,078 confirmed cases with 48 deaths per day and for the month of November, until the 22nd, the number of confirmed cases was 4,812 cases per day and 74 deaths.

Although the announcement of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the Kingdom constitutes a solution to reduce mortality cases, "the only solution that could currently lower the mortality rate is none other than the barrier measures that must be respected," concludes Dr. Tayeb.