Morocco's Face Mask Saga Continues

The distribution of Moroccan-made face masks to sales outlets across the country has faced several challenges, notably the greed of some business owners, admitted Morocco’s Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade, and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy.

The minister made a statement explaining the shortage of face masks in Moroccan markets on Thursday, April 23, during a meeting with the Finance Committee at the House of Representatives.

After fixing the retail unit price of face masks at MAD 0.8 (nearly $0.1), the ministry detected several fraud attempts in industrial production units that hoped to enlarge their profit margin by selling masks to distributors that are willing to pay higher prices.

To address the infractions, the Ministry of Industry provided a list of approved distributors for the production units to work with. Several business owners then protested the government’s interference in their internal affairs, leading to a delay in the distribution of masks.

Elalamy agreed that the government should not interfere in the transactions of production units under normal circumstances. However, the country is in a state of emergency and the government has every right to implement exceptional measures to protect citizens and their health, he explained.

“Factories belong to Moroccans. If needed, we can requisition them to preserve citizens’ health,” Elalamy warned.

In addition to providing a list of certified distributors to production units, the ministry has mobilised staff to monitor the production of face masks at all times on a shift basis to avoid any infractions, he added.

The distributors certified by the ministry have already developed a supply plan to make face masks available in 66,000 sales outlets across the country and to avoid any shortage, the minister continued.

Despite the challenges that left millions of face masks in storage, distribution logistics are improving and the Moroccan market will not face shortages of face masks in the near future, Elalamy assured.

The minister revealed that 17 factories are currently operating day and night to produce face masks, while two production units did not receive authorisation to make masks because they did not meet the quality standards set by the ministry.

“We are ready to support every company wishing to produce masks, but on the condition of respecting the norms,” said Elalamy.

“Some investors’ requests were declined after they presented fake tests. The instructions are clear. The priority is the health of citizens,” he continued.

Morocco has produced approximately 82 million protective masks as of April 22, revealed the minister.

The country boosted its production of face masks by transforming the production lines of several textile companies to exclusively produce medical protective gear.

On April 7, the Moroccan government announced that wearing medical masks in public spaces and in the workplace is mandatory.

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Ramadan to Begin in Morocco on Saturday April 25

Delegates and experts of the Islamic affairs ministry said it was impossible to observe the crescent moon of Ramadan on Thursday, April 23.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced Saturday, April 25 as the first day of Ramadan in Morocco.

The ministry’s experts observed the skies today, looking for the crescent moon that would signal the start of the holy month. Delegates of the ministry said that it was impossible to sight the moon today, announcing instead April 25 as the first day of Ramadan in the country.

While Moroccans are excited for the holy month and its rituals, the circumstances of this Ramadan are unprecedented, given the emergency of COVID-19 and its spread across the world.

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Morocco - Breaking News! - Ramadan Curfew Announced

The Ministry of Interior announced today (April 23), that Moroccans will have authorised movement for an additional two hours during Ramadan.

Morocco’s current curfew is from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Beginning Saturday, April 25, curfew will run from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the duration of the holy month.

The move comes “in the context of strengthening the measures of the state of health emergency,” the ministry said in a statement.

Under the regulation, outdoor circulation is strictly forbidden after the curfew, with the exception of individuals with work authorisation in addition to an exceptional movement permit.

The ministry emphasised that anyone caught outdoors without permission will face legal action in accordance with the provisions related to the health emergency.

Moroccan authorities declared a state of emergency on March 19, shortly after health officials confirmed the country’s 63rd case. The emergency state entered into force on March 20, restricting movement in public spaces to stem the spread of COVID-19. The nationwide lockdown is effective until May 20.

Prior to declaring the state of emergency, Morocco had intensified efforts against the spread of the virus. The country shut down schools, mosques, hammams, restaurants, and cafes in March in an effort to contain the growing epidemic.

Morocco also suspended international flights and maritime travel on March 15, currently effective until May 31.

Make certain you know about the Curfew

State of emergency & Ramadan: Travel prohibited from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

On the occasion of Ramadan, and as part of the state of health emergency, the public authorities decided to impose a suspension of travel from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.
“Citizens are prohibited from leaving their homes and finding themselves outside after 7:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. whether walking or using public transportation. This decision excludes people working in strategic sectors, "said the press release from the Ministry of the Interior.

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But where have all the masks gone?

Face masks have become the hardest items to source. Despite reports of massive production the masks have become almost impossible to find. Ahlam Nazih, writing for L'Economiste, reports on the situation.

Of the 6 million masks reserved for pharmacies on Monday, only 1.2 million appear to have arrived on the market. The Council of the College of Pharmacists mentions logistical difficulties, but claims that in less than a week there will be enough for everyone!

Morocco makes millions of masks every day. The current potential is 6 million per day. Word from the Ministry of Industry even announces that we will increase production to 10 million daily by next week. But where are they?

By next week, the Ministry of Industry plans to increase production to 10 million masks per day. But they still have to reach the users. They should be available in pharmacies and grocery stores in particular

Masks are almost impossible to find, either in pharmacies or in grocery stores, the two sales channels selected. On Monday April 20, some 11 million units were distributed, according to the ministry, including 6 million for community pharmacies. However, pharmacists have only really received 1.2 million. How to explain such a big difference ?! Only one mask out of five has reached buyers ... Where have the other 4.8 million gone?

Recently, the Order of Pharmacists proposed to bring pharmaceutical wholesalers into the distribution circuit. The decision was taken Monday April 13 to integrate them, to supply the 12,000 pharmacies in Morocco. How it works? “The Ministry of Industry has chosen to sell all of its production to a private group. The latter performs dispatching on eight platforms that it has in several regions.

"Wholesalers can therefore get their supplies from the platforms closest to them, and then deliver to pharmacies, ” explains Hamza Guédira, president of the Council of the Order of Pharmacists. Wholesalers began sourcing from platforms last Friday. The same day in the afternoon, they started distributing.

“It took us about three days to put things in place. We are going up in pace,” says Guédira. But then, where have the few million missing masks gone? Guédira mentions logistical difficulties, for an operation "quite heavy" to manage.

This Tuesday, April 21, 2 million units were to be distributed in pharmacies. The Council of the Order ensures that in less than a week the market will be sufficiently supplied. Guédira even speaks of "flooding the market", with at least 3 million units daily, only in pharmacies. Will it be the right time? We will know soon enough…

“Any attempt at speculation will be severely punished. In any case, it is a regulated price, like medicines. The box of 10 masks is sold at 8 DH. The initial idea was to allow everyone to protect themselves in order to fight the pandemic. We are not in a business perspective ”, underlines the president of the Council of the Order of pharmacists, who defends himself from any commercial objective.

According to Guédira, pharmacists earn 0.15 cents per unit, from which 20% VAT must be deducted. The rest would not even cover the charges. “The pharmacies have suffered a 70% drop in their activity due to confinement, while they bear substantial fixed costs, in addition to the costs of ensuring their safety and that of their assistants. We believe, however, that it is our duty to mobilise for our country, ”says Guédira.

The pharmacies will not only sell the masks, but they will also advise users on the correct way to wear them, and also to get rid of them, to minimise the risk of contamination.

After the disposable masks, the Moroccan Institute for Standardisation has just announced the list of textile companies authorised to manufacture masks in washable fabric. These are nine companies, three of which are based in Casablanca and Tangier, one in Marrakech and two in El Jadida. These masks are subjected to a whole battery of tests, especially with regard to the safety of the fabric from which they are made.

The informal market has already taken an interest in the production of these masks with products of questionable quality. Several police raids have dismantled clandestine workshops harnessed to their manufacture.

Hassan Ataiche, president of the Syndicate Chamber of pharmacies of pharmacies of Fez (CSPOF) affirms for which "the subsidised masks did indeed arrive at the distributors of pharmaceutical products in the city of Fes, last Friday , and the next day in pharmacies, but in small quantities ”.

In fact, "pharmacists have since received only 3 or 4 packs of 10 units per day ... which is ridiculous compared to the high daily demand on these masks". Denouncing "mismanagement across the board, from the obligation that came into force two weeks ago, to communication, including production and distribution", the president of CSPOF calls for "reviewing the whole process". "We must opt ​​for a rational distribution of the quantities produced across all pharmacies," he suggests. This is to stem the phenomenon of scarcity and avoid speculative ambitions.

In the meantime, the Textiles are about to start the production of reusable and sterilisable masks. This, after several days of waiting (a week for two for the lucky ones). "Three of my samples have been validated by the Textile and Clothing Technical Centre (CTTH)", says an operator from the city of Fez. To have the famous sesame of the technical centre you must pay a technical test billed at DH 4,000 for each sample.

In addition, you have to pay for the waterproofing, chemical, and certification tests of the national standards institute (Imanor) for a total amount of 6,000 DH. "This brings the price of the global certification to 10,000 DH for each sample," said this textilian from the city of Fez.

To this investment is added the upgrading of production workshops (hygiene, barrier measures, etc.). Can we find the standard fabric to produce the masks and convince workers to return to their jobs in the factories for a handful of DH more than the partial unemployment paid by the CNSS?

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Morocco Time Change to GMT for Ramadan

Morocco is now on GMT time. Clocks have gone back one hour until the end of Ramadan

As of 2018, daylight saving time (DST) is permanently observed in Morocco. Previously, time was advanced to UTC+01:00 at 02:00 on the last Sunday of March, and reverted to UTC±00:00 (standard time), defined as Greenwich Mean Time locally, at 03:00 on the last Sunday of October. This practise was continued through October 2018, after which clocks were permanently advanced.
An exception is made during the month of Ramadan during which clocks reverted to UTC+00:00 (standard time)


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Morocco Extends State of Emergency Until May 20

Initially, Morocco announced that the state of emergency would end on April 20. Now they have announced a decision to prolong the country’s state of emergency for 30 more days until May 20 as COVID-19 cases continue to increase.

Morocco was initially planning to end the confinement period, which started on March 20, on Monday, April 20.

The continuous increase of the novel coronavirus cases led the government to extend its lockdown until it manages to sufficiently contain the virus.

On April 16, the Ministry of Health reported 227 new COVID-19 cases at 10 a.m. Thursday’s COVID-19 report presented the highest number of new cases since the outbreak of the virus in Morocco on March 20.

Morocco has now confirmed 2,670 COVID-19 cases, including 298 recoveries and 137 fatalities.

The state of emergency extension will leave Moroccans in lockdown in Ramadan, the holy month when thousands of Muslims convene at mosques to perform extra prayers called taraweeh after salat Al Isha (evening prayer).

Morocco has been intensifying efforts against the spread of the virus. The country shut down schools, mosques, hammams, restaurants, and cafes in March as part of its measures to counter the pandemic.

Morocco also indefinitely suspended international flights and maritime travel on March 15. A few days later, the country decided to implement a nationwide lockdown for one month, until April 20.

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Concerns in Fez and new coronavirus surge

In addition to the 245 new cases recorded earlier today, Morocco has confirmed the detection of 281 cases in 24 hours, the highest daily increase the country has seen.

In the last few days, Morocco has recorded declining fatality rates while recoveries grow steadily each day. On Tuesday, April 14, the country confirmed its first death-free day since March 23.

The number of cases, however, is on the rise as the Ministry of Health defines new epicentres. The ministry announced 125 new cases on Tuesday, followed by 136 on Wednesday and 259 on Thursday.

Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Mohamed El Youbi said the virus has surged in commercial and industrial facilities in Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier.

Concern in Fez

After the closing of the Carrefour supermarket and the discovery of a number of infections, things seem to be toughening up. Workers on their way into the Medina found themselves confronted of barricades and questioning about why and where they were going. Anyone without a valid pass was refused entry.

A policeman, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested it was possible that within the next few days restrictions on entering the Medina would be strengthened.
Fatima Zahra, who works as a cleaner and cook at a Fez riad, says she would be devastated if she could not get to work. "I am supporting my entire family and without work, what could I do to provide for them?"
Another distraught woman remonstrated with the soldiers, asking "Where will I get food if I don't work?'



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Masks to be available in pharmacies soon.

The system governing the sale of subsidised masks in pharmacies is ready. Profit margins of wholesalers and retailers, storage, distribution, supply. Everything is ready to start the distribution of these sanitary masks, before the end of the current week.

The pharmacies will soon be associated with the distribution chain of health masks for non-medical use, subsidised by the Special Fund to fight the pandemic of Covid-19. The procedure for their involvement was detailed in a letter, addressed to the Minister of Industry and Trade, signed by the presidents of the professional representations of pharmacists.

The sales of these masks in the pharmacies of the kingdom will be made by cartons containing boxes of 10 units, with profit margins set for wholesalers and pharmacies.

The price of the sale to the public being 8 dirhams including tax (for a box of 10 units), the profit margins of suppliers to wholesalers, as well as the profit margins of wholesalers and pharmacists were fixed by the general direction of trade (ministry Trade and Industry):

- Industrial manufacturers' selling prices: 6 dirhams including tax;

- Single supplier selling price: 6.20 dirhams including tax;

- Sale price for pharmaceutical wholesalers: 6.50 dirhams including tax;

- Sale price to the public, by pharmacies, of a box of 10 units: 8 dirhams including tax.

The sale will be made of boxes containing boxes of 10 units. Payment, upon purchase by the wholesaler, and sale to pharmacists will be in cash.

For organisational and convenience reasons, the inventory of the various manufacturers of sanitary masks in Morocco will be grouped at the level of a single supplier, with regional platforms, which, in turn, will supply the various wholesalers and distributors. This supplier will be chosen by mutual agreement between the general management of trade and the Professional Pharmaceutical Distribution Group (GDPP).

To ensure better monitoring of the supply of these subsidised masks, pharmacists are invited to deliver only a single box of 10 units per customer.

Wholesalers and distributors are asked to communicate on the state of their sales, and on the level of their stocks, with the GDPP monitoring unit, in charge of transmitting them to the General Directorate of Commerce, to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

In addition to the subsidised masks, pharmacists will have to gradually resume the distribution of hydro-alcoholic gels.

In addition, bottles of disinfectant alcohol at the dosage required for the preparation of this hydro-alcoholic gel, will then be offered to pharmacies in the kingdom, gradually and rationally, in order to allow them to carry out any officinal preparations.

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Covid-19 possible treatment updates

Zineb Ibnouzahir, reporting for Le 360, writes that after the success that the use of chloroquine seems to meet with patients treated for Covid-19, other drugs tested around the world are proving their worth and bringing a new ray of hope.

Scientists around the world are working hard to develop vaccines and test effective treatments for the new coronavirus disease. Round the world trials in progress.

In Australia, a proven anti-parasite

A team of Australian researchers from Monash University in Melbourne has discovered that a drug, available worldwide, can kill the virus in the laboratory, in just 48 hours.

Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic medication, approved to treat parasitic conditions, such as rosacea, head lice and scabies. Developed in 1975 and since widely used worldwide since the early 1980s, this drug has been shown to be just as effective, in in vitro tests, against other viruses, such as the influenza virus, Zika virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

After tests by these Australian researchers, Ivermectin also appears to be an inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro.

The research team, which worked with the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, another laboratory in Melbourne, was able to demonstrate that Ivermectin reduced the viral RNA COVID-19 present in cell culture by 93% of samples analysed after 24 hours, and 99.8% of these samples after 48 hours.

This reduction in viral load, by around 5,000 times, suggests that the drug in question could potentially eradicate the virus in vivo.

However, Australian scientists warn that although this drug is already widely used worldwide, and considered to be a safe drug, these very recently performed tests still need to be tested on humans to determine the effective dosage that would counter the Covid-19.

These tests were the subject of the publication of a study report in a specialised journal, "Antiviral research", which opens the door to a wide use of this drug, already widely used throughout the world. The article advises administering this drug to patients with Covid-19.

Already approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) but also by the WHO, which included it in its list of essential drugs, in particular against cases of blindness of inhabitants living near rivers of countries from Africa, as well as against scabies, Ivermectin could therefore be widely used to treat patients with Covid-19.

Drug capable of blocking infection discovered in Sweden and Canada

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the University of British Columbia in the Province of Canada have also reportedly found a drug that can block the disease before it infects body cells human.

APN01. This is the name of this drug developed by Aperion Biologics, and already tested against lung diseases. Today, there is a great deal of interest in this, having received regulatory approvals to be tested in Austria, Germany and Denmark, on 200 patients tested positive for Covid-19 as part of a study in its Phase II.

Scientists' study of human cell cultures and organoids published in the specialised journal Cell explains how these researchers used tissue samples from a patient with Covid-19 to isolate and culture SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease.

In cell cultures in the laboratory, these researchers were able to show how the advanced protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to a cell surface receptor, an angiotensin 2 converting enzyme (ACE2) in order to enter our cells.

It is the same mechanism as that of the original SARS virus, which started an epidemic in 2003, and which SARS-CoV-2 uses to bind to our cells, and which has already been described by several researchers in previous studies.

By adding a genetically modified variant of this protein, called "human recombinant angiotensin converting enzyme 2" (hrsACE2), the researchers wanted to test whether the virus could be prevented from infecting cells.

The result now published in this scientific journal shows that hrsACE2 reduced the viral growth of SARS-CoV-2 by a factor of 1,000 to 5,000 in cell cultures.

"We believe that adding this enzyme copy, hrsACE2, causes the virus to attach to the copy instead of the actual cells," said Ali Mirazimi, assistant professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Karolinska Institute, and one of the corresponding authors of this study.

"It diverts the virus from infection of cells to the same degree and should lead to a reduction in the growth of the virus in the lungs and other organs."

Covid-19: everything you need to know about chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and their marketed drugs

"Our study provides new information on how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells in the body, including in the blood vessels and kidneys," said Ali Mirazimi.

"We hope that our results may contribute to the development of a new drug treatment that can help patients with Covid-19".

The current study is limited to cell cultures and artificial miniature organs. However, this same drug has already been tested against acute lung damage, acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary arterial hypertension, in phase I and II clinical studies.

The results could therefore be promising for the treatment of Covid-19 patients who are in the early stages of contamination, according to the researchers. Additional research is needed to determine if it is also effective in later stages of the disease's development.


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Fez Medina - a ghost town - as artisans suffer

The Medina of Fez has become a ghost town where, despite the measures put in place by the State, many artisans are still deprived of income. Government containment measures to restrict the spread of the Covid-19 virus have had a tangible impact on the daily lives of artisans in the Fès-Meknès Region. 

Many artisans fail the conditions of eligibility for the government's economic rescue measures. The pandemic has weakened thousands of traditional artisans due to the difficulty they encounter in marketing their products, without being able to guarantee their daily livelihood.

In Fez, the craft sector supports more than 260,000 people, or 27% of the inhabitants of the old medina. The turnover of this activity amounts to more than 4 MMDH, or 47% of Moroccan exports in the sector. In total, the region has 38,045 craft enterprises and cooperatives and no less than 376 professional organisations. Currently, almost all the craftsmen in Fez have put their personal and family heritage at stake and quickly found themselves in difficulty.

Most artisans are wondering about the initiative that the government is about to take to support traditional artisans to promote their products in this recession that is hitting the national and global economy.

In this context, the parliamentarian Driss El Alaoui El Houssaini, member of the Chamber of Crafts of the Fez-Meknes Region, sent a request to the Head of Government and to the Minister of Tourism, Crafts, Air Transport and the social economy, inviting them to integrate artisans and their families into the most deprived social category which will benefit from state social assistance, which will no doubt help them to overcome this situation.

The last survey carried out by the Moroccan Confederation of VSEs-SMEs revealed that the structures most impacted by this health crisis are VSEs, as well as self-entrepreneurs, with a rate of 90%. SMEs and cooperatives, on the other hand, show a rate of 8% and 2% respectively. It should be noted that very small and medium-sized enterprises (TPME) cover 95% of the Moroccan entrepreneurial sphere.

Constantly animated by its numerous bazaars, its shops, its craftsmen and its itinerant merchants, the atmosphere which characterises the narrow alleys of the medina has drastically metamorphosed and made this most important medieval city in the world a ghost city.

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Carrefour Fès: shopping centre closed until further notice

A security, preventive and health plan is in action as the Carrefour centre in Fez is closed until further notice.

"We must first ensure the health situation of all the employees of this platform before deciding on the measures to be taken," says a spokesperson. In the meantime, it has been decided to close the store, track customers in contact with infected people and give virological tests for all staff. At the time of posting, the number of confirmed cases had not yet been released. However, we already know that "8 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 were transferred to the treatment centre at Ibn Al Khatib hospital".

In addition, the provisional assessment of the Coronavirus at the level of the city was established, Monday, with 93 cases (of the 233 identified at the level of the region Fès-Meknès), 10 cures and 5 deaths. For its part, the city of Meknes, which recorded 77 positive cases, 24 cures and 13 deaths, was able to control the pandemic, thanks to the quarantine of certain districts, the treatment of patients, and vigilance. For this last part, our sources insist on barrier measures, confinement, wearing a protective mask, and hygiene. Because, "this virus is contagious on contact". "It is therefore necessary to control the nerve centres to guard against a large-scale contagion".

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Our Medical Team at Your Service!

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Carrefour Closed for a "Big Clean" - After Virus Alert

On Sunday, in Borj Fez, one of the security agents is said to have Covid-19. 7 other people working in the Carrefour section of the mall are said to have symptoms of the disease. This has led the health authorities to identify the personnel in contact with them, and activate the patient care plan.

Borj Fez is closed

Carrefour was closed today for a disinfection operation inside the shopping centre. This is carried out under the supervision of officials of the local authority, public health, and others.

At the time of writing Carrefour is still closed and has led to crowding at Marjane stores

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What is Your View During Lockdown?

This is an invitation to share a photo from where you are in lockdown. Just to start the ball rolling - here is our view from Fez.

Fez Medina looking towards Mount Zalagh

Send your photo to: theviewfromfez@gmail.com

Reader's photos:

View from Grindleton Fell, Lancashire, England

I am fortunate I am staying in an area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. My thoughts are with many, thoughout the world, who are not so fortunate and who will go to sleep tonight hungry.

George Industria, George, South Africa...

"Sunrise this morning....I stay on my work premises" - Stephan Coetzee

"From our rooftop in Ziat" - Youssef Azami

David Cruickshank - My View From Australia!

From our terrace in Taddart-Agadir - Nathalie DUFAUX

The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry : "Straight ahead, you can't go far."
Le Petit Prince dit : "Droit devant soi, on ne peut pas aller bien loin" (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

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Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 71 new cases of COVID-19

Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 71 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,346 as of 10 a.m. today, April 9.

Morocco also confirmed three new fatalities and eight recoveries between 6 p.m. yesterday and 10 a.m. today. The country’s death toll now stands at 96, while 102 patients have recovered.

Health authorities have conducted 4,770 negative diagnostic tests on suspected COVID-19 cases since the outbreak of the virus in Morocco on March 2.

Casablanca-Settat hosts the highest number of cases in any single region (397). Marrakech-Safi (256) and Rabat-Sale-Kenitra (207) combined have confirmed over one third of the country’s cases, while the remaining third are spread throughout Fez-Meknes (165), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (111), and the rest of the country’s regions.

The Oriental (76), Draa-Tafilalet (67), Beni Mellal-Khenifra (40), and Souss-Massa (20) continue to report a slow increase in numbers.

The southern region of Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab recorded its first two cases of the virus on April 8. Its neighboring region of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra still has reported only four cases, while Guelmim-Oued Noun has confirmed one case.

The Ministry of Health continues to urge citizens and residents to abide by prescribed preventive measures to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. The ministry continues to emphasize that people should regularly wash their hands with soap and water, and it is now mandatory to wear face masks in Moroccan public spaces and workplaces.

The fight against COVID-19 in the country has reached a “critical stage,” according to Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.

Speaking at a government meeting on April 6, the government chief said: “These days, we are at a decisive turn, although the development of cases is still moderate and we are still in the second stage,” El Othmani said.

The ministry highlighted Morocco’s efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic. El Othmani said the country is taking all necessary measures to fight against the pandemic through “vigilance and commitment to precautionary and protection rules, particularly given the rise of local infection cases.”


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WHERE ARE THE MASKS?

WHERE ARE THE MASKS? -

 A pharmacist speaks of her dismay: “ We don't have them… Quite simply. Since this morning, 50 people have come to my pharmacy to claim my masks. However, we do not find them. And even if we found them a few weeks ago, the prices are so exorbitant that we cannot triple them for our customers. To give an example, the box of three-ply surgical masks cost 350 dirhams for 50 pieces, or 7 to 8 dirhams for the mask. To make a minimum profit, we should sell them for 10 dirhams, which is far too high a price for people, ” she said. “ You should know that before the coronavirus crisis, these masks were sold for 2 dirhams a piece, supplier price ”. A version corroborated by another Casablanca pharmacy contacted this morning: “ No, there is none, we are out of stock. ”

Supply remains complex to manage on a large scale, given the logistical difficulties that the government decision involves. Large stores were stormed this morning.

Mehdi Bouamrani, CEO of the distribution group Dislog, explains: “ Over three days, I received 200,000 masks. For your information, this is not even a day of sales in Casablanca . Especially since the supply is not done on the retail part for the moment, or in any case very weakly. ”

“ We have to put things in perspective, we are currently managing tensions, says the CEO of the distribution group . It is a feat to transform textile factories into mask producers with the quality and supply management that go with it. The installation in the field will take a little more time. You should know that in Morocco, we have 100,000 very scattered retailers. It is therefore easier to go to a central purchasing office to ensure supplies. The department is struggling, but it is true that it is not their core business. ”

“The supplies started with the supermarkets Marjane, BIM and Carrefour. You should know that they were delivered on the basis of the first Official Bulletin at 2 or 2.5 dirhams the mask, then there was the decision to subsidise at 80 cents the mask. Events are rushing, but I think that within a week to 10 days, everything will be back to normal. Because today, even if masks are mandatory, we cannot guarantee consumers that they will find them. ”

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Face Mask Shortage - And latest COVID-19 Numbers Wednesday 8th

Protective mask: A shortage already in Casablanca - L'Economiste

There seems to be no outlets for face masks in the Fez Medina. A majority of people wearing scarves instead - scarves that offer little or no protection.

Nevertheless, Health authorities say... "“In two days, we distributed 5.3 million masks in large specialised stores (GMS), then to grocery stores.”

“We have established a partnership with two dairy distributors. Today, we already cover 66,000 points of sale and at the end of the week, we will cover all of the points of sale. ”

On the sale price
“The price is regulated by royal decision, it will remain at 0.8 dirham. We have contacts with large European countries which ask us to export masks to them and we will, because we will soon meet the needs of the Moroccan market. ”

“We will soon be exporting Moroccan masks to Europe.”

"This price is regulated, Moroccans must be careful, they must not pay them at a higher price."

ATM machines in R'cif have a tissue dispenser for cleaning the keys and white paint marks on the pavement to delineate social distancing guidelines.

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Face Masks Must Be Worn - But where are they?

Morocco has made wearing face masks mandatory starting today (Tuesday) for anyone allowed to go out during the coronavirus outbreak. But masks are hard to find in the Fez Medina

The masks will be sold at a subsidised price of 0.8 dirhams ($0.08) per unit. Those who fail to comply face prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to 1,300 dirhams, the government said in a statement on Monday. The price appears to be being flouted with some outlets selling masks for 3 dirhams each.

Morocco plans to increase its daily mask production capacity to near 6 million next week from 3.3 million currently,

Self-isolation, social distancing are a luxury that poor families can't afford and where are all the masks? But, even if they could afford to buy masks they are finding them hard to buy as a lot of outlets have no masks at all. Some shops claim that the masks are "coming", but had no idea when.

A quick walk through the souk in R'cif searching for face masks was in vain. Five small shops and the local pharmacy all claimed to have none in stock and no idea when and where they could buy them. A majority of people on the streets were without masks. A few people had scarves over their mouths, but from a realistic point of view, these offer little or no protection.

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Special Evacuation Flight for U.S. Citizens

URGENT – CONFIRM YOUR INTEREST IN A FINAL ​POTENTIAL SPECIAL EVACUATION FLIGHT ​FOR U.S. CITIZENS

The U.S. Mission to Morocco ​continues to explore all options for U.S. citizens ​and Lawful Permanent Residents remaining in Morocco who wish to return to the United States, including a potential special ​ evacuation flight from Casablanca to London mid-to-late this week. If the flight is finalized, U.S. citizens will be required to pay up front the cost of the one-way flight to London, and would also need to arrange their own travel onward to the United States from London (which may ​require overnighting in London, ​depending on the timing of onward flights to the United States). The one-way flight to London will cost an estimated $575.00.

PLEASE CONFRIM BY MONDAY 9:00 AM: If you are a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident in Morocco who would like to return to the United States on this special evacuation flight to London, should the flight be ​finalized, we ask that you reply to this email by Monday 8:00 AM. Please confirm that you would ​purchase tickets for this special evacuation flight. Indicate the number of U.S. citizens ​or Lawful Permanent Residents in your traveling party, and please also provide your location in the country.

If the flight takes place, it will be available ONLY to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States. No others – including F1 student visa holders, B1/B2 visa holders, nor any other non-U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent residents – will be permitted to board this special evacuation flight.

Note that this will likely be the final special evacuation flight for U.S. citizens. As part of its efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Moroccan government has suspended indefinitely all ​regular commercial flights in and out of Morocco. This suspension will last until at least until the end of April 30, but it will likely continue well past that date. At this time, the U.S. Mission to Morocco does not know when normal commercial flights will resume.

To repeat, if you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident and you would like to return to the United States via this final potential special evacuation flight from Casablanca to London next week, please email ACSCasablanca@state.gov no later than 9:00 AM Monday. Please only email once and we ask that you do not call at this time. Your reply does not guarantee you a seat on the flight; however, if the flight is finalized, we will then provide you further information on Monday about the exact date and time of the flight, as well as instructions for booking and paying for your seat.

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Some Creatures are Self-Isolating!

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Bread Making During Lock Down

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Morocco - 49 coronavirus cases and seven deaths in the past 24 hours

The Moroccan Ministry of Health has confirmed 15 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 691 as of 6:00 p.m. on April 2.

Director of the Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Health Mohamed Lyoubi has announced 49 coronavirus cases and seven deaths in the past 24 hours.

Morocco’s COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 700% since the country entered a state of emergency on March 20, but the Ministry of Health has called the rise “expected and natural.”

The coming days are decisive for controlling the COVID-19 spread in Morocco. Citizens should abide by the precautionary regulations both inside and outside their homes, stressed the health ministry.

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Marrakech Reopens Alcohol Outlets

Yesterday, social media in Morocco reacted negatively to the announcement of the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in Marrakech and Berkane. 

The news had a ripple effect across the country. After the rumour circulated that the ban would be extended to include outlets like Carrefour in Fez, shoppers were quick to stock up. At 10am Carrefour opened its doors as usual and staff told customers that the rumour was false and that alcohol sales were not to be curtailed.

After some investigation, it appears that there actually had been a ban imposed, but that it was hastily withdrawn after reaction on social media. Indeed, the wilaya of Marrakech had prohibited alcohol sales from Tuesday, March 31, 2020 until further notice. However, The Economist reported that after reflection, a second decree was issued to cancel the first.

The sale of alcoholic beverages in Marrakech will therefore continue normally and the alcohol outlets will not close. However, they must respect the measures taken by the government as well as the defined opening and closing hours. The authorities of the wilaya of Marrakech have decided to reduce the opening hours of local and popular markets (Souikas) to 6 am, as a preventive measure to stem the spread of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).

In this context, the wali of the Marrakech-Safi region, governor of the prefecture of Marrakech, Karim Kassi Lahlou has issued a decision which fixes the opening hours of these sales spaces from 7 am until 1 pm, at the level from the prefecture of Marrakech, 6 hours a day.

Anyone who violates the provisions of the said regulations will be prohibited from exercising their profession and will be subject to legal proceedings, as set out by the laws in force. The implementation of this exceptional decision will be entrusted to the local authorities and to the services of the National Security and the Royal Gendarmerie, until the lifting of the state of health emergency.

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