Morocco Reports 91% Surge in COVID-19 Cases Over Two Weeks, Health Ministry Warns

The bi-weekly report on the epidemiological situation was presented by the head of the communicable diseases division, Abdelkrim Meziane Bellefquih. He reported a "notable increase" of 91% in positive cases during the period from July 6 to 19. There is no doubt, the Kingdom is entering a new stage of virus propagation. The positivity rate has gone from 4.56% to 10.7%. The Casablanca-Settat region is leading the pack with 21.3%, compared to 2.6% in Fez-Meknes, which has the lowest rate.

Morocco has recorded 558,785 positive cases since the start of the pandemic, with an incidence rate of nearly 1,535 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, placing the Kingdom 42nd worldwide and second in Africa. The Covid-19 reproduction rate (Ro) has worsened to 1.45 nationwide over the past two weeks.

Active cases rose to 15,253, compared to 5,535 two weeks earlier (+175%), explained the head of the communicable diseases division, who is concerned that the new serious cases have gone from 236 to 413 last Monday, an increase of 75%.

The total death toll was 9,466 cases on July 19, 2021, a fatality rate of 1.7%, below the global average of 2.2%. Abdelkrim Meziane Bellefquih specified that 81 deaths were recorded last week, constituting the highest death toll in 5 months. As for the recovery rate, it is 97.3%, according to the report by the head of the communicable diseases division.

Regarding virus testing, it recorded a small increase from 105,000 tests per week to 140,000 performed last week, or nearly 20,000 tests per day. "Either we will pull ourselves together with all firmness and responsibility and bring the curve back to a positive trajectory, or we will resign ourselves to an epidemiological relapse with which all the gains risk being wiped out," he said, calling on Moroccans to show a high sense of responsibility and civic vigilance to move forward in preserving the gains and avoid any resurgence of the pandemic.