As Eid El Adha approaches, the country’s epidemiological situation seems to have turned around. A surge of cases of contamination (serious cases too) coupled with an acceleration of deaths was observed this while the situation was judged “stable and controlled” a few weeks rather.
A turnaround that worries more than one. The latest figures are hardly reassuring: the total number of cases points to 20,278 while that of deaths exceeds 310. This with contamination records recorded on Saturday and Sunday for 811 and 633 new cases detected respectively.
To date, there are 3,527 people under treatment, including 57 cases admitted to intensive care and intensive care units (7 are intubated there).
The famous R0 (reproduction rate), an indicator closely followed by health authorities, rose to 1.59. For the record, keeping this rate below 0 for at least two weeks was among the conditions imposed by the authorities for deconfinement. Its passage today above the critical bar 1, would it be a reason to reconfine the population?
Health does not rule out this possibility. Just yesterday, Khalid Ait Taleb said “that a re-containment remains possible at any time in the event of non-compliance with prevention and security measures, since the virus is still present and awaits the slightest opportunity to spread further”.
At the time of writing, it has been decided, from this Sunday July 26 at midnight, to prohibit travel to and from the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, Berrechid, Settat and Marrakech.
Citizens, beware of slackening!
What is behind this upsurge? The relaxation of citizens is the main cause singled out. Social distancing, wearing a mask, the use of disinfectants (although they are available in large quantities in the markets), … are applied less and less since the government eased the restriction measures.
K. Ait Taleb also observed that studies carried out at two different centers have shown that the genomic mutation in no way justifies this finding of serious cases or increasing lethality.
“On the other hand, what could explain this phenomenon is that since the beginning of the 3rd phase of the lifting of containment, we have observed that there has been a relaxation in the respect of hygiene and barrier measures”, he added.
This neglect has exposed to the virus a population that is vulnerable and of a certain age or that suffers from underlying diseases or comorbidities.
But, we can just as much blame a lack of rigor in the control by the authorities of compliance with preventive measures.
Heterogeneity
From one region to another, the epidemiological state differs, with a concentration of cases in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceïma region, which on yesterday alone recorded 455 new contaminations. Next comes Casablanca-Settat with 185 new cases.
In the other regions, the situation seems rather under control. At least for the time being.
Globally, the situation is no more reassuring. The pace of the pandemic continues to accelerate, with more than 5 million new cases detected since July 1, or more than a third of Covid-19 cases reported since the start of the pandemic.
A long struggle
In the end, should it be remembered? the success in the fight against this pandemic depends on an individual and collective commitment and this, within the framework of a complementarity where the citizen, the head of the family, the manager of the company, the administrative manager, the owner of the public transport, … etc, each of its positions work to promote and develop a culture of prevention.
For their part, the public authorities affirm their constant determination to strictly apply the compulsory measures. They note that“they will not hesitate to apply the sanctions provided for by law against any person having violated the obligation to wear a protective mask”.
You have been warned!
Y.S
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