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Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has confirmed 68 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 8,071.
The ministry did not report any additional deaths, with fatalities remaining at 208. The mortality rate is now 2.58%, below the global average of 5.9%.
Morocco also recorded 73 new recoveries in 24 hours, bringing the country’s total to 7,268. The recovery rate reached roughly 90.1%.
Health authorities recorded approximately 31 of the new cases in family hotspots in the city of Marrakech, adding that 11 of the new patients are children. The total number of children currently receiving treatment stands at 24.
A further 18 cases were found in the Casablanca-Settat region, eight in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, six in the Oriental, and five in Rabat-Sale-Kenitra.
Approximately 62 patients, or 91% of the new confirmed cases were identified through the monitoring of people who came into contact with COVID-19 patients. The new patients have not exhibited symptoms of the virus.
There are only 595 active cases remaining in the country after 1,809 patients recovered between Monday and 6 p.m. on Friday. Approximately 18 of the active cases are being treated within intensive care units, five of which are under artificial respiration.
The ministry partly attributes the increasing number of recoveries to the use of chloroquine, as well as to another drug that inhibits the blood from coagulating. Officials have said these treatments contributed in part to a decreased average healing period.
The Ministry of Health added that 14,271 tests came back negative in the last 24 hours, an increase from yesterday’s total of 13,500 negative tests.
With the number of daily tests on a continuous rise, Morocco is gradually approaching its goal of performing 1.5 million tests by July.
Read also: Morocco Reportedly Planning to Extend Lockdown Until End of June
Morocco’s government is strategizing a deconfinement plan for after the country lifts its state of emergency, currently scheduled to end on June 10. Officials have said proceeding with the plan will require success in lowering transmission rates.
The R0 rate, representing the number of people a single infected person contaminates, should remain below 1.0 for two consecutive weeks in order to commence a gradual deconfinement.
Some local news outlets reported today that “the government is preparing to announce next week the extension of the state of health emergency,” which would be the country’s fourth extension. Official sources have yet to confirm or deny the claim.
