Rabat – Morocco’s public health system detected 1,090 new cases within 24 hours on Friday, out of a total of 8,200 people tested.
COVID-19 cases in Morocco have seen steady increases, rising from a mere 36 daily cases on May 9. By the start of June, daily cases had risen to 361, with the past week seeing large day-on-day increases. On June 7, Health officials detected 607 new cases, which rose to 938 the following day.
Bucking global trends
Morocco’s rise in daily cases does not appear to be part of a new global wave or emerging new variant of the virus.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week highlighted that “globally, the number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to decline.” Describing the global trend as “very encouraging,” the WHO chief highlighted that while vaccinations are “saving lives,” world governments and citizens still need to proceed with caution.
One region that has seen a fairly similar uptick in cases is the WHO’s “Eastern Mediterranean” region, which includes large parts of the Middle-East and North-Africa. These similarities could indicate that the bump in cases is likely a result of the festivities surrounding the holy month of Ramadan and its concluding Eid al Fitr celebrations.
New measures unlikely
While new daily cases have risen more than tenfold within the past month, it is highly unlikely that Morocco’s government will respond to the increase with new restrictive measures.
Moroccan hospitals are currently well prepared to care for COVID-19 patients, with only 0.4% of intensive care units currently employed to care for COVID-19 related symptoms. While Morocco currently has 4,822 known active cases in the country, only 23 cases are considered “severe,” meaning they require hospitalization and intensive care attention.
Another factor that can allay fears of new restrictive measures or even lockdowns is the shift of focus regarding COVID-19 policy. At the start of the pandemic, governments around the world aimed to keep infections and deaths to a minimum, willing to pay a large economic cost to achieve this goal.
Government response
But the focus has drastically shifted, in Morocco and around the world. Governments, including in Rabat, are currently eager to recoup some of the economic losses they suffered over the past two years, and even attempt to come out stronger than before.
As such, renewed attention to the national vaccination campaign and continued calls to wear masks and social distance are likely the extent of a new government response.
With Morocco’s tourism sector finally able to breathe after devastating border closures, Moroccan decision-makers appear to have their eye on recovery and economic growth. Despite a rapid increase in daily cases, neither the public nor the government appears to have any appetite for new health measures that could threaten this recovery.
