Ali Lotfi, Secretary-General of the Democratic Labor Organization, said, “Moroccans, in general, have shown a high degree of responsibility, patience, and commitment, and have worked alongside security and health authorities to combat the novel coronavirus. We have achieved historic results, with the number of cases, the mortality rate, and recovery times ranking among the best in the world.”
In an interview with the newspaper *Al-Masaa*, Lotfi added, “The figures being announced today in a number of cities—resulting from the identification of family, industrial, or agricultural clusters— are not surprising to decision-makers in the health sector and its Scientific and Technical Committee, because among the reasons for this is the delay that occurred in the process of diagnosis and early detection adopted by our country from the outset and for more than two months, relying solely on two reference laboratories with a daily capacity not exceeding 200 laboratory tests.”
The same spokesperson added, “Currently, laboratory testing capacity has reached 29,000 tests per day across 24 laboratories. Consequently, this approach has allowed the virus to spread among a large number of citizens, which explains these figures; they may increase further with the rollout of mass early testing in industrial facilities and agricultural workshops,” emphasizing “The Ministry of Health’s warnings remain crucial to prevent the spread of the virus among the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, who are most at risk from the coronavirus, in order to save lives.”
Ali Lutfi added, “There are multiple factors contributing to the relaxation of precautions observed in several neighborhoods, cities, and industrial zones, as well as among some residents—whether through failure to adhere to social distancing, neglecting to wear masks, disregarding them, or even neglecting hand hygiene— including social factors, particularly in crowded places such as commercial markets and among young people who pay no attention to social distancing, as well as cultural factors deeply rooted in our family and community interactions—traditions that are difficult to abandon quickly despite warnings,” adding “Therefore, we must also address these social and cultural factors by intensifying efforts to revive the national economy, which has entered an unprecedented recession, and by creating opportunities for citizens to earn a living and support their families.”
Sarah Al-Ramshi
