Morocco Likely to Extend Lockdown Through Ramadan as COVID-19 Cases Peak

The Ramadan period would not be conducive to "deconfinement". It is the par excellence time for family gatherings and group prayers. This risks undoing the efforts made so far to maintain some control over the contamination rate. Even if, since the implementation of the state of health emergency by the public authorities, 28,701 individuals have been apprehended throughout the kingdom for violating this measure. A total of 15,545 people have been brought before the competent public prosecutors, after the custody procedure. Which, according to maroc-diplomatique.com, proves that "deconfinement in this month of April will be a bad idea".

Repeated violations of the state of emergency, the curve of the number of infections and deaths still on the rise, and the peak of the pandemic that has not yet been reached, are enough to maintain confinement, thinks the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained that the only possibility of avoiding a second wave of the pandemic is to "strengthen confinement", because "lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence" of the pandemic.

In France, a study by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, revealed on Sunday by Le Monde, estimates that "deconfinement should take place in May or June". The day after the publication of this study, the French president affirmed on Monday that confinement was extended until Monday, May 11. "This is the condition to allow our caregivers to rebuild their strength," he said. This step "will only be possible if we continue to be civic, responsible, respecting the rules in order to contain the spread of the virus".