Morocco Reopens Borders Amid COVID Concerns, Sparking Debate Among Health Experts

Morocco has come a long way in terms of the Covid-19 contamination wave. This is why the decision to open the borders is not to the liking of some health specialists. This is the case of Professor Mustapha Ennaji, an expert in virology at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the University Hassan II of Casablanca, interviewed by Hespress. While respecting the decision made by the government, he points out that deciding to close or open the borders deserves "discussion and analysis".

"Today, the decision to reopen has been made. Now we have to ask ourselves how we can mitigate the risks of this decision. That is the second part of the question. To do this, we need to get vaccinated and respect the barrier measures, since the epidemiological curve is in a downward phase. Normally, the peak that Morocco is experiencing will persist for a few more days before dropping towards mid-February to late February, according to the epidemiological data we have," he explains.

However, he acknowledges that the decision itself is a relief for populations psychologically affected by the setbacks of restrictive measures. But caution must be exercised. "We are aware that citizens are now tired of the pandemic and the resulting measures. But we must not forget that Morocco has made a lot of sacrifices and investments during this health crisis, allowing it to limit the damage. It is therefore necessary to preserve its achievements by maintaining respect for barrier measures, since the pandemic is still there and citizens must be aware of this," he specified.

Professor Ennaji believes that such a decision, which could undermine the little health security that has been regained, should take into account several parameters, including that of the World Health Organization. "WHO still considers Covid-19 as an epidemic. Morocco, for the moment, cannot say otherwise and say that it is good, we can consider Covid as a simple flu. That is to say that when the decision is made, it will be based on that of the World Health Organization (WHO) of which Morocco is a part. There is this thesis, but the decision will certainly be made in this direction," he explained.