[News]Morocco to Transfer COVID-19 Patients, Future Cases to 2 Hospitals

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Rabat – The Moroccan government has decided to transfer all remaining COVID-19 patients, along with any new cases, to two hospitals in Benslimane, near Casablanca, and Ben Guerir, near Marrakech.

A joint press release from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior announced the news on Saturday, June 13, assuring that the 700 active COVID-19 cases counted on a national scale maintain a stable state of health.

Civilian and military doctors will assist patients at the two facilities, which are dedicated to the management of COVID-19. The hospitals will offer all adequate treatment, accommodation, and follow-up. 

 
“Instead of keeping COVID-19 cases spread across hospitals in the kingdom … it was decided to group them as well as future positive cases within two specialized health facilities,” announced government spokesperson Saaid Amzazi in a statement.

The decision will take into account the evolution of the epidemiological situation in Morocco, the statement added.

The ministries also announced mass screening measures for all individuals who made contact with COVID-19 carriers, as part of the country’s aim to carry out nearly 1.8 million COVID-19 tests by the end of July at the start of August.

The large-scale testing also concerns professional and business environments throughout Morocco.

 
The country carries out 17,000 tests per day to date, and 398,260 suspected COVID-19 cases have tested negative since the start of the outbreak on March 2.

The decision to transfer all COVID-19 care to two hospitals comes as part of the country’s preparation for gradual deconfinement, set to begin on June 20. The move also aims to free up hospital beds and allow individuals seeking healthcare and others suffering from chronic diseases to visit hospitals without fear of contracting COVID-19.

Morocco has 8,734 COVID-19 cases as of 10 a.m. on June 14, including 7,725 recoveries and 212 deaths.

Morocco extended the state of emergency on June 9 until July 10. The country has, however, begun easing lockdown on several regions and provinces where outbreaks appear to be clearing up.

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