Evolution of COVID-19 in Relation to Public Health Countermeasures in Morocco

Abstract

The new coronavirus, officially responsible for COVID-19, has spread rapidly internationally despite multiple countermeasures to limit its transmission. Morocco recorded his first case of COVID-19 on March 02, 2020. The main data on the pandemic and its evolution come from the Moroccan Ministry of Health. This paper aims to describe the evolution of the pandemic in Morocco and to highlight the different measures taken to stem its progression between March 02 to April 07, 2020. The measures were taken very early since the declaration of the first case in Morocco on March 2, 2020. After 5 weeks of the epidemic, the number of confirmed cases in Morocco reached 1184 including 90 deaths and 93 recoveries. The evolution of the curve seems to be slowed down compared to neighboring countries like Spain. The wearing of a mandatory mask was implemented on April 7 by the Ministry of Health as an additional measure to flatten the curve and allow the health system to effectively cope with the pandemic. The impact of this measure could be assessed by analyzing the evolution of the curve in the coming weeks. Sharing these results can serve as an example to other countries, especially for low-income countries, in their fight against the COVID-19.