COVID-19: Morocco’s National Library to Offer Online Services

Rabat – The National Library of Morocco in Rabat (BNRM) decided to offer its services remotely as a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

BNRM’s decision follows the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance and several other public institutions in Morocco to close headquarters and promote working from home, amid fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The library announced in a press release that it will offer online administrative services to its subscribers, and access to electronic documents including legal deposits, manuscripts, magazines, books, and more.

The library will adopt a work system that doesn’t require its employees’ physical presence, opting instead for video chats to carry out administrative meetings.

The Ministry of Education decided to suspend all school activities and close schools starting Monday, March 16 until further notice. The closure included all vocational training centers and public and private schools. The suspension of classes, officials continue to remind the public, is not a vacation.

Remote educational activities will replace lessons and classes, allowing students to stay at home and continue studies, the ministry added.

Following the same preventive policy, Morocco decided to close all mosques starting March 16, as well as restaurants, coffee shops, public hammams (traditional baths), movie theaters, clubs, gyms, sports stadiums, and theaters, until further notice.

This morning, March 18, Morocco’s Ministry of Health confirmed five new cases of COVID-19 in Morocco, bringing its total number of infections to 49.

So far, Morocco has only reported one fatality from the virus. The patient, an 89-year-old Moroccan woman who arrived from Italy, suffered from preexisting medical conditions.

The first detected case in the kingdom recovered on March 13 and left the hospital the same evening.

Yesterday, March 17, Moroccan parliamentarians and members of the government announced personal contributions to King Mohammed VI’s Special Fund for the Management and Response to COVID-19, donating the equivalent of one month’s salary.