COVID-19: Morocco Has Manufactured and Distributed 13 Million Face Masks

Rabat – Moroccan Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade, and Digital Economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy said today that Morocco has distributed more than 13 million face masks to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Elalamy also announced that Morocco has exceeded the production of 3.2 million masks per day and will reach 5 million units daily by tomorrow, April 14.

“We have decided to provide citizens with these protective masks by selling them in more than 60,000 local shops,” the minister said.

The Moroccan government announced on April 7 that wearing protective face masks in public spaces and communal workspaces is mandatory. The decision is in line with national efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has infected 1,661 people in the country.

King Mohammed VI instructed the government to provide protective masks to the public at an appropriate price according to Article 3 of Law 2.20.292.

The price for one mask is set at MAD 0.80 (approximately $0.10).

In his first appearance since the new face mask regulations, King Mohammed VI demonstrated how Moroccan citizens should act responsibly when he wore a face mask during a royal audience.

The King’s appearance with the protective mask took place on April 7 at the Royal Palace in Casablanca, as he received Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani, Minister of Education Said Amzazi, and Minister of Culture Othman El Ferdaous.

In line with the mask mandate, the Public Prosecutor’s Office called for strict measures against violators of the new law requiring citizens and residents to wear protective masks.

Offenders can face prison sentences ranging from one to three months and/or a fine between MAD 300 and MAD 1,300 ($29 and $126).

In order to make protective masks effective, the Moroccan ministries of health and industry urged companies, industrial firms, and production units to provide their employees with protective masks to contain the spread of COVID-19 and avoid potentially contaminating the products.

The two bodies emphasized that employees should change their masks every four hours and called on companies to comply with the recommendations and preventive measures to protect staff members from infection.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Tangier-Tetouan Al Hoceima region (CCIS) has also announced a decision to distribute 4 million masks for free during the month of April.

Administrative services will distribute the masks to residents, according to an April 8 joint statement from the CCIS and the Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Industries (AMITH).