Rabat – Morocco has managed “to avoid the worst” and will successfully overcome the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, “as it did in the previous one,” Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani said on May 27.
To ensure the success of the “post-June 10 phase,” after Morocco lifts its nationwide lockdown, all national actors, including political parties, trade unions, and civil society, must join their efforts, El Othmani urged.
The head of government made the statements during a videoconference consultation meeting with the leaders of the political parties represented in the Moroccan Parliament.
Consultations with political parties, trade unions, and NGOs make up one part of the Moroccan government’s “strong and global” mobilization for the “post-June 10 period” to take into consideration the medical, economic, and social dimensions of the pandemic, El Othmani said.
The head of government said Morocco is “proud” of King Mohammed VI’s guidelines. He said the King “has given his directives for taking proactive and forward-looking decisions of humanitarian and social nature.”
The management of the post-lockdown phase greatly depends on the evolution of Morocco’s epidemiological situation, El Othmani said, adding that the virus is “currently under control.”.
The “deconfinement” process will also be based on the expert reports presented by scientific committees, he explained.
To help “revive” the national economy, Morocco is preparing amendments for the 2020 finance bill, El Othmani announced. The amendments will be based on the national and international economic climates.
According to El Othmani, the lockdown phase was a “great success,” as demonstrated by the sufficient supply of basic necessities to national markets.
The head of government also commended the “efficiency” of the national pharmaceutical industry, “which has made it possible to meet most of the country’s needs for medicines and medical equipment.”
El Othmani’s optimistic statements come only two weeks before the scheduled end of the nationwide lockdown, implemented to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Moroccan government first implemented the lockdown on March 20 to restrict the movement of citizens. Under the lockdown, Moroccans are only allowed to leave their homes for work, essential grocery shopping, and medical emergencies.
While the lockdown was initially scheduled to end on April 20, it underwent two extensions because the government judged the country’s epidemiological situation “still unsafe.”
