El Othmani: Mass COVID-19 Testing Will Speed Up Economic Recovery

Rabat – Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani expressed confidence in King Mohammed VI’s call for mass COVID-19 testing of private sector employees, saying it will speed up the resumption of economic activity in Morocco.

Speaking on his behalf at the opening of a government council meeting on June 4, Government Spokesman Saaid Amzazi said El Othmani is proud of Morocco’s achievements in confronting the health crisis under the King’s leadership.

As Morocco shakes off the grip of the global pandemic, El Othmani calls on employers to engage in the country’s participatory virus management framework while resuming economic activity, aiming to safeguard the health of workers and their family members.

El Othmani underlined the importance of King Mohammed VI’s call for mass employee screening and said the King ordered the Ministry of Health to make its resources available to the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM) to this end.

He said doing so will accelerate Morocco’s return to regular economic activity and allow millions to safely return to their commercial and professional activities and reduce the economic impact of the lockdown.

The head of government said the COVID-19 situation in Morocco has recently experienced “a significant improvement” and welcomed the solidarity citizens continue to show.

El Othmani thanked Moroccans for their understanding and cooperation and urged them to continue to comply with the prescribed precautionary measures in order to curb the spread of the virus.

Morocco has recorded hundreds of COVID-19 recoveries every day this week, leaving the country hopeful the lockdown will end on June 10 as scheduled.

The Ministry of Health announced 434 new recoveries on Monday, June 1, 517 on Tuesday, 456 on Wednesday, and 329 on Thursday. Total recoveries stand at 7,195 and Morocco now boasts a recovery rate of 90%, far above both global and continental averages.

While Morocco is set to relax some restrictions come June 10, the country’s officials maintain a cautious optimism. Some ministries have begun rolling out new protocols for life after lockdown, including health guidelines for workplaces, shopping malls, and independent businesses.

Meanwhile, both the head of government and Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb have refrained from dismissing the threat of the pandemic despite the fact there are only 600 active cases remaining. Proceeding with deconfinement depends on the transmission rate, or “R0” rate, staying below 1.0 for a two-week period. Only then will the health ministry confirm Morocco is ready to lift the lockdown that has been in place since March 20.