At least 16,000 deaths have been avoided in Morocco since the detection of the first case of Covid on March 2, 2020. This was revealed by Dr. Mouad Merabet, coordinator of the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations of the Ministry of Health. Health, during the program “Mâa Ramdani” broadcast Sunday March 7, 2022 on 2M. According to him, this was possible thanks to the efforts made by the stakeholders. “Morocco has so far recorded 44 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 286 per 100,000 in the United States, 214 per 100,000 inhabitants in Spain and 206 per 100,000 inhabitants in France,” he said.
According to the specialist, the confinement imposed in the Kingdom saved many lives during the first wave of the pandemic, in particular during the predominance of the British variant. At least 5,000 deaths were avoided during this phase, while this strain represented more than 90% of cases at the time. “For the moment, the epidemic wave caused by the Omicron variant, which caused nearly 1,182 deaths, is over, thus marking the beginning of the post-wave phase or the third inter-period. Admittedly, the country’s health epidemic situation is a ray of hope, but caution is in order,” he suggests.
During this interview, he also highlighted “the high degree” of protection of vaccines against the virus and deaths. The percentage of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants of people with a complete vaccination schedule is 86% lower than that of unvaccinated people, and 68% in those who have received one or two doses, he specifies.
If the vaccines are so effective, why then continue to require the negative PCR screening test for travelers who land in Morocco? This is the question asked by many Moroccans who return to the fold, those who are considering it and even foreign travelers. An easing of this condition is therefore expected, especially after the cancellation, since March 1, 2022, of systematic screening tests for passengers upon arrival at all airports in Morocco.