The Spanish newspaper El Mundo praised the efforts made by Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, in the fight against the spread of the pandemic of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
In an article entitled “HM King Mohammed VI’s Task Force controls the virus”, the widely circulated daily said Morocco was one of the first countries to implement strict and proactive measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, which has made it a model for neighbouring countries in managing this health crisis.
The newspaper noted that since the first cases of Covid-19 appeared in the country on March 2, Morocco closed its borders and suspended all international flights, before deciding to close schools and mosques and ban gatherings of people, and then entering mandatory confinement on March 20, which prevented an estimated 6,000 deaths, according to the Paris-based Institut Montaigne.
“HM King Mohammed VI personally supervised the management of this health crisis and set up a Task Force to coordinate the strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, which was composed of senior officials,” the Spanish media wrote, noting that all officials of Moroccan administrations and public institutions, as well as security forces were mobilized to coordinate the implementation of the health emergency and raise awareness among citizens about the importance of the measures adopted.
El Mundo, in this context, reported that Moroccan industrial units specializing in textiles were involved by the State in the manufacture of protective masks, which enabled the Kingdom to cover the needs of the population in record time, before authorizing their export to several countries, including Spain, France, Italy and Germany.
For their part, the Kingdom’s security forces and bodies were mobilized to ensure compliance with the provisions of the state of health emergency and the recommended social distancing and security measures, ensure the protection of strategic sites, combat cybercrime and “fake news” conveyed on social networks and prosecute offenders who endanger the health safety of citizens, the publication continued.
According to El Mundo, Morocco has managed, thanks to the implementation of these strict measures, to contain the spread of the virus and to stabilize the curve of contaminations, since the country counted on Friday 7,300 cases of contamination with Covid-19, including 197 deaths, while Algeria, with the same number of cases, recorded nearly three times more deaths due to the virus.
“Morocco, where the level of spread of Covid-19 remains low, has taken decisive and rapid measures to fight against the pandemic, through the adoption of an approach based on foresight, firmness and rigor, in collaboration with all stakeholders, and with the participation of the population, which enabled it to avoid the worst,” stressed the professor at the University Ibn Zohr of Agadir, Mohamed Amine Serghini, quoted by the newspaper.
