Going Back to Total Lockdown Possible If Situation Becomes Uncontrollable - Head of Govt.

Going back to total lockdown is a possible option if the health situation related to the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) becomes uncontrollable, Head of Government, Saad Dine El Otmani said Tuesday in Rabat.

Speaking at the monthly session dedicated to general policy issues at the parliament, El Otmani stressed that “none of us, officials or citizens, want a return to total lockdown, in view of its social, economic and psychological repercussions, but it remains a possible option if the epidemiological situation becomes uncontrollable.”

“This depends on everyone’s commitment to respect the proactive and preventive measures known to all,” he added.

El Otmani stressed that “the current epidemiological situation is worrying, but thanks to the combined efforts of all and the sacrifices of health professionals, it is not yet out of control,” calling for greater vigilance and caution against false news and rumors.

All the decisions undertaken by the Kingdom are national and sovereign decisions based on accurate data, said the Moroccan official, who added that there are scientific and specialized committees in charge of monitoring, evaluation and taking the necessary decisions.

He also pointed out that the efforts of all stakeholders must be directed, first, towards fighting the spread of the pandemic, then towards the resumption of economic activity and dealing with the socio-economic repercussions of the Covid-19.

El Otmani said that the Kingdom is experiencing, like other countries in the world, a continuous spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that this situation has prompted Morocco to extend the state of health emergency six times in a row.

He also underlined that seasonal diseases weaken immunity and have similar symptoms to Covid-19, which represents an additional challenge to facing the spread of the pandemic.

To this end, El Otmani called on citizens and institutions to be vigilant and careful, while respecting individual and collective health measures.

The measures put in place by the Kingdom since the beginning of the outbreak, in accordance with the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, have prevented several deaths and contaminations, he said.

According to him, the period of lockdown has been an opportunity to prepare the Kingdom to face the evolution of the epidemiological situation, particularly by building the capacities of the health system.

On the worrying epidemiological situation in the Casablanca-Settat region, El Otmani said that the region alone recorded nearly half of the confirmed cases and deaths.

He also underlined some indicators of the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom, adding that the seriousness of the epidemiological situation in Morocco is measured by the number of serious cases, deaths, and infections.

The Kingdom still maintains one of the lowest case-fatality rates in the world with 1.7% and the occupancy rate of Covid-19 Intensive care beds is around 36%, El Otmani concluded.