Rabat – Morocco ranks third in Africa in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday. Morocco ranks 49th globally.
The country also ranks 49th globally in COVID-19-related deaths, and fifth in Africa, the coordinator of the National Center of Public Health Emergency Operations at the Health Ministry, Mouad Mrabet, said in the weekly COVID-19 press conference.
Morocco is also 31st globally and second in Africa in terms of conducting COVID-19 screening tests. Mrabet said the country also ranks first for screening tests in North Africa.
Morocco recorded almost 54% of its total COVID-19 case count during the first 23 days of August, the health official said.
Approximately 60% of Morocco’s COVID-19-related deaths were recorded during the same period.
Health authorities confirmed approximately 9,869 infections, including 37 imported cases, between August 17-23, Mrabet noted in the weekly report.
The week saw a rate of infection of 27 people per 100,000.
Morocco also recorded 230 deaths and 6,999 recoveries last week.
The past week witnessed an increase of nearly 6.6% in the number of cases and 43.8% in the number of deaths.
Mrabet highlighted that 24 provinces recorded less than 10 infections per 100,000 inhabitants, while six provinces recorded more than 50 cases per 100,000 capita.
The provinces with the highest number of cases are Boulemane, Youssoufia, Casablanca, Marrakech, Beni Mellal, and Sefrou.
The official said that active cases last week reached an average rate of 41 people per 100,000, which he disaggregated into figures for five groups of regions.
The groups are the Oriental region, with less than 10 active cases per 100,000; the regions of Guelmim-Oued Noun and Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, with between 10 and 20 actives cases per 100,000; and the regions of Tangier-Al Hoceima, Fez-Meknes, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, and Draa Tafilalet, with active cases ranging between 20 and 40 active cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The regions of Beni Mellal-Khenifra and Marrakech-Safi recorded 40 to 50 active cases per 100,000, and the regions of Casablanca-Settat and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab saw more than 50 active cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Mrabet emphasized the importance of respecting preventive measures, including the wearing of face masks in public.
Morocco recorded today 1,276 COVID-19 cases, 35 deaths, and 815 recoveries.
The country’s total number of COVID-19 cases reached 54,528, including 38,293 recoveries and 955 deaths.
