96% of Moroccans Are Worried About COVID-19 Pandemic

Essaouira – A survey by the Moroccan Institute for Political Analysis (MIPA) found that 96% of Moroccans are worried about the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the North African country.

The survey, released Monday March 23, studied a sample of 2,470 Moroccan citizens from different demographics to gauge the national response to the pandemic and the government measures in place.

According to the MIPA survey, 81% of the Moroccan population are worried about catching the virus, with 29% expressing extreme preoccupation.

The results varied in different demographics: 86% of women said they are scared of contracting COVID-19 compared to 77% of men.

Along similar lines, 98% of Moroccan women worry about the spread of the virus in general, as opposed to 94% of men.

The survey also found a marked difference in age brackets. Morocco’s under-35s are more worried about catching the virus and the spread of the pandemic (81%) than the over-60s (72%).

Older generations are more preoccupied by the economic impacts of the global pandemic, with 96% saying they are worried about how the economy will recover. Only 87% of the under 35 bracket expressed worry about the national economy.

MIPA also asked participants about the medical care available, with 74% of respondents expressing confidence in the health service’s capacity to meet the demands of the pandemic.

The survey showed mixed feelings in terms of trust in the government. Over one quarter of respondents feel that the communication from the government amid the pandemic is “not good,” while 21% expressed complete confidence.

Over half of Moroccans (58%) are satisfied with the way the government is handling the pandemic, while 33% said they have no confidence in the measures put in place.

On March 20, the Moroccan government imposed a total nationwide lockdown in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The kingdom remains in a state of emergency as the number of patients testing positive for the virus grows rapidly.

Yesterday, March 24, the Ministry of Health announced 55 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases now stands at 225.