OECD Studies Morocco’s COVID-19 Response in Comparative MENA Analysis

These are brief studies that take stock of the responses provided by each country to this major health crisis. As for the first study, it assesses the speed of virus spread in the region, the containment measures taken and how health systems and economies are coping. The study also makes a comparison between "all the measures undertaken in this regard by Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen", reports Le Matin.

As for the second study, it is devoted to Morocco and consists of listing all the measures taken by the kingdom in the fight against covid-19. It focuses mainly on the number of beds made available to patients, the screening centers and the military field hospitals. Moreover, the document reviewed the announcement of the state of emergency, its extension until May 20. The obligation to wear medical masks and the sanctions that accompany non-compliance with this obligation did not escape the study. "The price of masks has been regulated by decree and a first local production, with a capacity of 5 million units per day, has been set up thanks to the voluntary readjustment of several industrial units," the document reads.

The OECD also looked at the economic impact of the covid-19 crisis, starting with the closure of all educational institutions. It also describes "the restrictions on public and private transport and travel between cities", the deployment of security forces and the army in the streets. The document cites economic indicators that mention the crisis in the tourism sector, air transport and some export sectors (particularly textiles and automotive) "very early impacted by shocks on both the supply and demand side," it is noted.

The document did not overlook the financial and fiscal measures taken, including the idea of creating the Economic Monitoring Committee (CVE) "to discuss and take the necessary measures to mitigate the economic and social impacts of the pandemic".