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All but one of the confirmed coronavirus cases in Morocco have been to European countries in the last couple of weeks, the director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division at the Health Ministry Mohamed Lyoubi said in a press conference held Saturday.
After Morocco recorded 17 confirmed coronavirus cases, the official revealed that most of the cases have been to France, Italy and Spain, which house high numbers of Covid-19 cases. «We have 9 new confirmed cases, to be added to the 8 existing ones : 17 cases» in total, he recalled.
«One of these cases died and the other recovered. The rest, amounting to 15 cases, are quarantined and are under supervision», Lyoubi said. He told reporters in Rabat that the 15 patients’ «health state is really good, apart from one that has a moderately-severe condition».
Giving more details, Lyoubi reported that the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Kingdom include «11 Moroccan citizens who have been abroad and 6 who are French». «10 of the confirmed cases are men while only 7 are women», he said, adding that «the average age of the confirmed cases is 51, in addition to a 9-month-old toddler».
«All these cases were infected abroad, apart from one case who was infected through her husband who was abroad», said the health official, adding that «six confirmed cases came with the virus from France, 5 from Italy and 5 from Spain».
The first phase with imported cases only
Referring to the plan set by the ministry to monitor the virus and avoid contagion, Lyoubi said that «106 suspected cases have been tested and have all tested negative for the virus. 123 suspected cases were tested in total, including the 17 people who tested positive for the virus».
«It is worth noting that the monitoring plan that we had set up for the virus is working well. The plan covers border crossing points and also the number that people call», he explained.
«Of course, a lot of Moroccans living abroad or foreigners living in Morocco were recently returning in large numbers to the Kingdom fearing eventual lockdowns. There was an influx and some who were carrying the virus entered the country», he added, referring to the recent travel bans implemented by Morocco.
Lyoubi reassured that «we are still in the first phase of the emergency plan that has forecasts and the proof is that we have only recorded imported cases».
«As a ministry we expect the worst. We don’t know if we are going to reach the third or second phase but we have to expect them and work on that».
As for the Ministry’s future plans to curb the spread of the virus, Lyoubi said that «if we have to put Covid-19 cases in a certain unit and then direct other patients suffering from different illnesses to other units or hospitals, we can do it». He also said that «the hotline number set for people who want to inform of suspected cases will have other regional lines to decrease the influx».
