Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has reported 1,283 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Morocco to 28,500.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 8,071 as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5.

The new case count marks the highest number of COVID-19 cases Morocco’s health authorities have ever recorded in one day.

The ministry reported that 91% of the new cases resulted from monitoring people who made contact with confirmed COVID-19 carriers.

Morocco also recorded an additional 365 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of recovered patients now stands at 19,994. The country has a recovery rate of 70.2%, the ministry announced.

Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 18 more fatalities related to COVID-19.

The death toll stands at 435, and Morocco has a COVID-19 mortality rate of 1.53%.

Approximately 1,333,050 suspected COVID-19 carriers have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic reached Morocco on March 2.

COVID-19’s geographical dispatch

Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 249 new cases. The region has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, accounting for 25.32% of Morocco’s total.

The Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region registered 322 new cases and covers 23.75% of the cases in Morocco.

The Marrakech-Safi region recorded 296 new cases. The regional total accounts for 14.66% of the national total.

The Fez-Meknes region confirmed 201 new infections and now represents 16.12% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Morocco.

The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region recorded 136 new cases, now accounting for 9.87% of Morocco’s total cases.

The Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 10 new COVID-19 cases, to cover 2.69% of all COVID-19 cases registered in Morocco. 

The Oriental region has recorded 13 additional cases and accounts for 1.82% of the country’s cases.

The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region confirmed 22 new cases, to represent 1.28% of Morocco’s cases.

Five new cases emerged in the Souss-Massa region, which now accounts for 0.56% of Morocco’s cases.

The southern region of Laayoune-Sakia-El Hamra recorded 26 new cases to cover 3.04% of the country’s cases, while the region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded three new cases (0.33%).

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Rabat – According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest report, Morocco’s tourism sector is the fourth most impacted in the world by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With an estimated direct impact equating to 3.8% of GDP, Morocco ranks among the 10 countries calculating the greatest loss from tourism revenues since COVID-19 began its global spread. 

The North African country’s tourism sector is only better off than those of Portugal (4.3%), Greece (6%), and Thailand (6.1%).  

Other countries listed in the top 10 include Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. 

The IMF measures net tourism income by subtracting expenditures of residents who travel abroad. The report notes that Morocco’s tourism sector ranks number one in terms of countries most affected by the balance of payments. 

The report, released on August 4, states that “international tourism has been among the hardest hit sectors during the COVID-19 crisis.” 

Between January and April, international tourism arrivals were down 50% compared to the same period in 2019. Hotel reservations saw even greater declines. 

Overall, at least 11% of Morocco’s GDP depends on tourism. Last month, Moroccan tourism expert Zouhir Bouhout told Morocco World News that the country risks losing a total of 10.5 million tourists and over 19.8 million overnight stays in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“The tourism sector is undoubtedly the sector most affected by the coronavirus crisis,” Bouhout said. He concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic “destroyed” all of Morocco’s efforts to establish its well-renowned tourism sector. 

According to a study he conducted, “it is very likely that the achievements of 2020 would be similar with the figures recorded at the beginning of the 1980s.”

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Rabat – The management of Moroccan football club Moghreb Athletic de Tetouan announced that two of its players have tested positive for COVID-19.

Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported on Wednesday that the Moroccan football club’s players as well as technical staff underwent screening tests, which revealed two COVID-19 infections among players.

Health professionals conducted the COVID-19 screening tests for players and staff in accordance with health guidelines from the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).

The club informed the FRMF of the test results as the Tetouan football team is playing today against Raja Casablanca.

The match, part of Botola (Moroccan league), is now in play.

Today, Morocco recorded 18 deaths related to COVID-19, in addition to 1,283 new cases.

The Ministry of Health has reported a total of 28,500 COVID-19 cases so far, including 19,994 recoveries.

The number of active cases reached 8,071.

Morocco’s Ministry of Health acknowledged that the number of patients in critical condition due to COVID-19 is increasing.

On August 4, the ministry said that the past week, from July 27 to August 2, was “the worst week” since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco in March.

“The number of cases is increasing. The number of deaths is increasing. The number of patients in critical condition is increasing. It was a bad week,” said Mouad Mrabet, a coordinator at the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, affiliated to the Ministry of Health.

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Rabat – Efforts to control the fire that broke out Saturday night in the Forest of Haouz al Mellaliyin in M’diq , northern Morocco, have been successful, but more than 1,000 hectares of forest have been damaged. 

The president of the National Center for the Management of Forest Fire Risks, Fouad Assali, said Wednesday that hundreds of volunteers from various official forces worked tirelessly during the ensuing days to contain the inferno. 

By surrounding the affected area, they have since been able to control the fire by nearly 98%, Assali told M24TV.

On Saturday, August 1, a fire began spreading throughout the forest in M’Diq . The flames raged into Sunday morning.

The Forest of Haouz al Mellaliyin consists primarily of cork oak and pine trees. Video shows the fire spreading rapidly throughout the forest, consuming everything in its path. Satellite images estimate that the fire damaged approximately 1,024 hectares of forest.

No injuries have been reported to date. 

Some 850 people contributed to the efforts to bring the fire under control. Members of the High Commission for Water and Forests, the Auxiliary Forces, the Gendarmes, the Royal Army, and the Civilian Protection Forces (firefighters) worked together to battle the flames.

Difficult terrain, hard to access pockets of the forest, high temperatures, and strong winds added to the challenge. The Royal Army and Gendarmes both lent planes to the efforts from above. Firefighters used 35 trucks with water reserves as the primary tools to tackle the fire on the ground.

M’diq is a popular tourist destination for both Moroccans and foreigners. Visitors enjoy taking in the local beauty of the forest and the beach alike. If not for the currentCOVID-19 situation, M’diq would be teeming with tourists this time of year, who could have been affected by the fire.

Despite their success in bringing the fire under control, forces in M’diq must remain vigilant to keep the flames from reigniting and the winds from spreading it across northern Morocco. 

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Rabat – Moroccans in Lebanon are calling on King Mohammed VI to intervene to help them return home after the Beirut explosion.

Dozens of people expressed their pleas through comments on posts shared by the Facebook page of the Moroccan Embassy in Lebanon.

The comments come in the aftermath of the massive explosion in the Lebanese capital on August 4. Beirut is in a state of crisis after an explosion killed 130 people, injured thousands, and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

“We want to return. The Moroccan embassy should intervene to repatriate Moroccans,” one citizen in Lebanon said.

The same citizen received a reply from another Moroccan woman, who said she could not return to Morocco as the Royal Air Maroc did not schedule any flight to Casablanca.

“Please help us return to our country,” another Moroccan woman wrote.

Others re-posted a lengthy open letter to the Moroccan embassy in Lebanon.

Urgent open letter from Moroccans in Lebanon

The open letter to the Moroccan Embassy in Lebanon explained the situation in the country, which already “suffers [a] dire economic situation.”

“We Moroccans who live in this brotherly country are suffering from difficult circumstances,” the letter said.

The open letter stated that the Beirut explosion has worsened the crisis the country is currently facing and has had negative repercussions for Moroccans in Lebanon.

Morocco’s government launched special flights to repatriate citizens for free before reopening borders for Moroccans, foreigners residing in Morocco, and their families on July 15.

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and Air Arabia Maroc have been operating the flights that bring Moroccans home from several countries. Lebanon, however, is not on the list of destinations.

“In light of these harsh conditions, and in the absence of any reaction from the Moroccan government to find a solution for its citizens residing in Lebanon…. the Moroccan community residing in Lebanon makes a special request to his Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him and support him, by urgently intervening and providing a plane to evacuate Moroccan women, their children and their husbands,” the open letter underlined.

The letter also calls on the King to allow Morocco to issue visas and residency cards to the Lebanese spouses of Moroccans residing in Lebanon.

“Most Moroccan women residing in Lebanon and their husbands are suffering from this crisis at all levels, the high cost of living, rent, lack of job opportunities, water, electricity and education crises,” the open letter said.

Ambassador: Moroccans in Beirut are ‘okay’

Quoted by Moroccan outlet H24, Morocco’s Ambassador in Lebanon M’hamed Grine said a few Moroccans sustained minor injuries due to the Beirut explosion, but the majority are “okay.”

Only one woman suffers a serious injury, fractures in her foot, as a result of the explosion.

The woman works for the UN in Beirut.

The ambassador explained that Moroccans sustained injuries mostly through glass projections linked to the explosions.

He recalled that the explosion caused serious property damage, leaving 300,000 people homeless.

One of the women seeking repatriation to Morocco wrote a post on her Facebook account, saying that she and her family suffered slight injuries due to the explosion.

“We’re doing relatively well, alive, that’s the most important!” she wrote.

She said that one of her children needs some stitches, but they are all safe.

She added that she is still stunned and shocked due to the incident.

Morocco World News contacted the woman for a statement, but she was not yet reachable.

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Rabat – Morocco’s Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani has announced that the government approved a decree to extend the nationwide state of emergency until September 10, an effort to continue curbing the spread of COVID-19. 

After originally declaring it on March 19, Morocco has extended its state of emergency four separate times over the course of five months. The month-long extension will mark the fifth extension of the state of emergency and will move the country into its sixth month. Before today’s decree approval, the set of emergency was set to expire on August 10.

At 6:00 p.m. yesterday, August 5, the Ministry of Health reported a record-breaking 1,283 daily case count, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases to 28,500. Morocco’s death toll stands at 435 with a COVID-19 mortality rate of 1.53%. 

The decision to extend the state of emergency follows the country’s “worst week” since the start of the public health crisis in Morocco in early March. 

“The number of cases is increasing. The number of deaths is increasing. The number of patients in critical condition is increasing. It was a bad week,” said Mouad Mrabet, a coordinator at the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, affiliated to the Ministry of Health.

The sharp rise in cases has prompted another wave of lockdown measures in Fez and Tangier. In addition, the government has cracked down on intercity travel by once again enforcing authorization to travel between major cities. 

The intercity travel restrictions came into effect just prior to the Eid al Adha holiday. 

In response to frustrations surrounding the revisited restrictions, Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb said, “We know that citizens are angry. But let me tell you that the virus does not give a deadline. We don’t have any choice but to fight the spread of COVID-19 with proactive measures.”

World leaders have recognized Morocco as a model country regarding its proactive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in July, the United Nations warned that if the country did not begin to take steps to adapt to the crisis, rather than rely on mitigation techniques, its economy would risk sinking deeper into deterioration. 

Morocco’s government has made no further announcements regarding the latest provisions of the country’s state of emergency.

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Rabat – Morocco’s Embassy in Lebanon announced that King Mohammed VI ordered the government to send eight flights with medical and humanitarian aid to Lebanon to express solidarity with the Lebanese people after the Beirut explosion.

The embassy said that starting Thursday, the country will send eight flights carrying humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

A military medical team from Morocco will also fly to Beirut to set up a field hospital to aid people who suffered injuries due to the explosion.

The shipments will consist of 295 tons of basic foodstuffs, 10 tons of medical equipment, and 11 tons of special equipment for the COVID-19 response.

Prior to his instructions on Morocco’s humanitarian aid flights, King Mohammed VI addressed a condolence message to express compassion with Lebanon’s President, Michel Aoun, after the massive Beirut explosion.

On behalf of the Moroccan people, King Mohammed VI expressed solidarity with Lebanon, assuring Aoun that Morocco stands alongside the Lebanese people.

At the end of his message, the King shared his wishes of security, tranquility, and stability.

The blast that took place on August 4 killed more than 130 people and injured 4,000.

Many victims remain missing.

A few Moroccans sustained injuries in the blast, according to the Moroccan embassy in Lebanon.

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Rabat – Morocco’s central bank, Bank al-Maghrib, has said that it has no “particular concerns” over Morocco’s financial stability, despite the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis. 

A recent report from Bank al-Maghrib, the Supervisory Authority of Insurance and Social Welfare (ACAPS), and the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC) details the state of Morocco’s financial systems amid the pandemic.

“So far, the monitoring carried out has not revealed any particular concerns about the stability of the national financial system,” the report states, as quoted by Morocco’s state media.

“The advent of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the national economy required an unprecedented mobilization of all actors in the public and private sphere,” the report adds.

The first objective of Morocco’s public and financial authorities was to support the national economy during the lockdown, according to the same source. They worked to stifle the pandemic’s blows to household income and national production.

The report underlines that Morocco’s financial authorities have coordinated to monitor risk indicators and provide appropriate and proportionate responses to COVID-19’s impacts on the country’s financial stability.

Bank al-Maghrib adds in the report that as Morocco eased lockdown measures, financial authorities shifted focus to assist the recovery of production and closely monitor the evolution of the still-uncertain economic situation. 

As Morocco’s financial authorities continue to monitor potential changes in the country’s financial stability, the Systemic Risks Coordination and Monitoring Committee (CCSRS) has decided to maintain weekly meetings.

Morocco’s COVID-19 economic crisis

The Bank al-Maghrib report is one of the less pessimistic outlooks on Morocco’s economic situation amid the COVID-19 crisis. 

The General Treasury of Morocco recorded a budget deficit of $3 billion for the first half of 2020. Meanwhile, remittances from Moroccans residing abroad and income from tourism and foreign investments sharply declined.

Morocco’s Minister of Economy Mohamed Benchaaboun warned on July 23 that the country should brace for the economic shocks of COVID-19, drought, and a global recession. 

He added that Morocco’s economic growth is expected to slow by 5% in 2020 for the first time since the end of the 1990s. Benchaaboun also predicts the budget deficit will stand at 7.5% and the debt ratio at 75.5% of GDP in 2020.

Morocco’s Ministry of Labor forecasts a loss of 712,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 14.8% in 2020. In May, the country’s unemployment rate reached 10.5%, with 1.292 million people out of work.

Morocco has taken numerous actions to preserve the country’s financial stability during the crisis. These actions include distributing aid to families without work, approving amendments to the 2020 Finance Bill, and developing sectoral recovery plans. 

Notably, King Mohammed VI announced in his Throne Day speech on July 29 a $12.84 billion stimulus package to support the national economy. In addition, the King called for the generalization of social security to cover all Moroccans. 

While Morocco is already facing micro and macroeconomic shocks due to COVID-19, the country’s top financial authorities are confident in the preservation of overall stability. 

Read also: Economy Minister Details Morocco’s MAD 120 Billion Stimulus Package

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Rabat – On Wednesday, Rabat police arrested four suspects in connection to a robbery at the residence of the head of a foreign diplomatic representation living in Morocco. 

Members of the anti-gang brigade led the operation in coordination with members of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).

An investigation into the case began on Saturday. According to the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the four suspects allegedly stole personal objects and a sum of money. 

Preliminary investigation also led to the arrest of the main suspect’s mother and aunt. Security services apprehended them for attempting to sell jewelry that was stolen from the diplomatic residence.

DGSN did not reveal the nationality of the diplomatic residence in Morocco.

Meanwhile, police officers arrested the fourth individual in the act of possessing a digital camera, also one of the stolen objects.

Charges include theft by climbing, concealment of objects resulting from a crime, and non-denunciation.

Police took four suspects in the case into custody for further investigations. They are currently being held under the supervision of the prosecutor’s office in order to determine the ramifications of the criminal act that took place at the diplomatic residence in Rabat, Morocco.

As Morocco eases the lockdown, crime rates are expected to rise again. The anticipated surge follows the remarkable fall in the crime rate during the month of March, when strict lockdown measures prevented most citizens from leaving their homes.

The ease of the lockdown coincides with Morocco’s issuance of the new generation of National Electronic Identity Cards (CNIE) on June 17. The new identity cards are said to have improved standards that aim to fight fraud and identity theft.

The CNIE will also include a PIN code, like bank cards, that will protect citizens against any fraudulent use of their CNIE in the event of theft or loss.

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Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Education announced on Thursday that the 2020-2021 academic year will kick off on September 1.

The same day, administrative staff will join their departments, while educators will go back to schools on September 2.

The ministry said the period between September 1 and October 5 will be dedicated to guaranteeing a successful academic start.

It added that the period will also serve as a phase to complete all technical services related to the new academic year.

Education will start officially on September 7 for pupils of primary school and for middle and high school students.

The ministry said that schools will devote the period from September 7 to October 3 for evaluation of the skills students developed in the previous academic year.

Subsequently, schools will launch the new academic program from October 5 and will provide additional revision classes.

The ministry launched a program for the academic year in line with recent developments on the COVID-19 crisis.

The statement pledged a normal academic year with the inclusion of new measures related to remote education, which Moroccan schools adopted at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Morocco suspended schools on March 16 after the outbreak of the virus in the country to protect and ensure the safety of teachers and students.

Since then, Morocco introduced a remote education program in favor of students at all education levels.

The ministry developed websites that hosted classes for students. In addition, Moroccan television channels also aired classes.

The remote education system in Morocco was unprecedented but was necessary to finish the academic year.

Morocco cancelled final exams for several education levels, except those for first- and second-year baccalaureate students, as well as for students at universities and vocational training centers.

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Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of Health reported 1,144 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recorded in Morocco since the beginning of the outbreak to 29,644.

In the last 24 hours, the ministry recorded 559 new recoveries. The recovery count stands at 20,553. The recovery rate decreased to 69.33%.

With 14 new fatalities, the total number of deaths is now 449. The mortality rate stands at 1.51%.

Meanwhile, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Morocco is 8,642.

Approximately 1,354,172 suspected COVID-19 cases have tested negative since the virus emerged in Morocco.

Yesterday marked Morocco’s highest daily case count since Morocco’s outbreak began on March 2, with a record-breaking 1,283 new cases.

COVID-19’s spread across Morocco

The Casablanca-Settat region recorded 383 cases in the last 24 hours. The region’s total number of confirmed cases now represents 25.63% of all cases Morocco has recorded.

Meanwhile, the Marrakech-Safi region recorded 289 new cases to represent 15.07% of Morocco’s cases. 

The Fez-Meknes region reported 202 new cases (16.18%).

The region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima recorded 109 new cases to represent 23.21% of the country’s cases.

The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region recorded 74 new COVID-19 cases, to cover 9.74% of Morocco’s cases, while the Oriental region recorded 14 new cases (1.79%).

Meanwhile, five new cases appeared in the Souss-Massa region, now totalling 0.55% of Morocco’s COVID-19 cases.

The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region recorded 31 new cases (1.34%). 

Two cases emerged in the southern region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab, which has now recorded 0.32% of the country’s cases.

Meanwhile, the Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 33 new cases to represent 2.70% of all of Morocco’s cases.

Finally, the southern regions of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Guelmim-Oued Noun recorded one case each to cover 2.92% and 0.55% of Morocco’s cases, respectively.

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Rabat – The Moroccan Exchange Office has revealed that Morocco’s trade deficit decreased by 16.2% during the first half of 2020. The deficit translates to more than MAD 85.58 billion ($9.2 billion).

The Exchange Office attributes the decrease in Morocco’s trade deficit to the falls in imports and exports by 17.5%, to MAD 206.89 billion ($22.3 billion), and 18.03%, to MAD 121.3 billion ($13.1 billion), respectively. The figures represent a comparison to the first half of 2019.

The office’s announcement came as part of its bulletin on foreign trade indicators for Morocco, issued in June. The report noted that quarter-on-quarter, the fall came to 25.1% for imports and 23% for exports.

The Exchange Office also revealed that the coverage rate fell slightly, by 0.6 points, to 58.6%.

Regarding the drop in goods imports, the Exchange Office linked it to the decline in purchases of almost all products.

This includes finished consumer goods, which decreased by MAD 14.03 billion ($1.5 billion), followed by capital goods with a decline of MAD 13.14 billion ($1.4 billion).

Energy products purchased declined by MAD 12.04 billion ($1.3 billion), semi-finished products by MAD 8.8 billion ($953 million), and raw products by MAD 2.07 billion ($224 million).

The office attributes the exports decline to the decrease in sales in almost all sectors.

This includes the automotive industry, recording a decrease of 33%, or MAD 28.14 billion ($2.9 billion), textile and leather by 34.9% (MAD 12.31 billion or $1.33 billion), aeronautics by 18.1% (MAD 6.94 billion or $748 million), and agriculture and food processing by 4.3% (MAD 33.15 billion or $3.5 billion).

The decreased exports also apply to phosphates and their derivatives, which dropped by 2%, or MAD 24.99 billion ($2.7 billion), other mining extractions by 29.7% (MAD 1.568 billion or $169 million), electronics and electricity by 5.2% (MAD 4.8 billion or $519 million), and other industries by 19.7% (MAD 9.39 billion or $1.01 billion).

Meanwhile, Morocco‘s trade deficit in 2019 grew by 1.5%, reaching MAD 209 billion ($21.6 billion).

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Rabat – Morocco’s Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, said Thursday that the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco is “worrying.” 

During a government council session on August 6, El Othmani said recent developments of the epidemiological situation in Morocco require heightened caution and vigilance, according to Morocco’s state media. 

The official underlined the rapid spread of the virus and the increase in COVID-19-related deaths. He also noted the spike in patients in need of intensive care, “the number of which reached 108 people on Wednesday, against only 19 previously.”  

Moroccans must act seriously and take all necessary measures to keep the situation from worsening, El Othmani stressed. 

In the past month, the country’s COVID-19 case count has more than doubled and the death toll is almost twice that of the beginning of July. 

On July 6, the country reported a total of 14,379 cases, 237 deaths, and 10,173 recoveries. 

As of August 6, Morocco has confirmed 29,644 cases, 449 deaths, and 20,553 recoveries. 

The Ministry of Health called the week from July 27 to August 2 the “worst” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Morocco in March. During this period, 69 Moroccan COVID-19 patients died. A health ministry representative also said that the number of patients in critical care increased during the week.

More Moroccan regions and provinces are witnessing a surge in cases, the ministry source added. During the same period, 22 Moroccan prefectures and provinces recorded more than 7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, a rate that the health ministry considers “alarming.”

El Othmani appealed to all stakeholders and citizens, emphasizing that “responsibility is individual and collective […] everyone must contribute positively to the fight against this pandemic, by adhering to preventive measures and adopting [cautious] behavior.”

The head of government also raised the importance of wearing face masks in public to prevent the spread of the virus. 

He added that the government council will adopt a decree-law simplifying the procedures for collecting fines from violators of the mandatory mask law. Doing so, he said, will improve efficiency in enforcing the law.

Wearing face masks in public became mandatory in Morocco on April 7 to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, since the country began easing lockdown measures and the weather began heating up, respect for this preventive measure has notably declined. 

The Moroccan government has reiterated on several occasions that the rule is still mandatory. Violators may face prison sentences ranging from one to three months and a fine between $29 and $126, or one of these two penalties.

Read also: Morocco Extends State of Emergency Until September 10

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Rabat – Morocco’s Special Commission on the Development Model (CSMD) will launch a consultation campaign seeking the participation of prisoners.

The campaign, organized in collaboration with the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), will cover all prisons in Morocco.

The initiative falls within the CSMD’s participatory approach, DGAPR said in a press release on August 7. The approach aims to involve all citizens in the preparation of Morocco’s new development model, including those from “specific categories.”

The CSMD and DGAPR are inviting all Moroccan prisoners to share in writing their conception of the “Morocco of tomorrow.” A joint committee will select the most promising contributions and publish them in a special issue of the monthly magazine “Cahier des prisonniers” (Prisoners’ Notebook), issued by DGAPR.

Meanwhile, the CSMD will publish all contributions, without exception, on the “www.csmd.ma” online platform.

Morocco’s new development model

King Mohammed VI established the CSMD in July 2019 after he acknowledged that the country’s current development model failed to meet the expectations of citizens and serve the country’s socio-economic aspirations.

The King had long criticized the previous development model, saying in 2017, “We have to admit that our national development model no longer responds to citizens’ growing demands and pressing needs.”

In his 2019 Throne Day speech, the monarch said he expects the CSMD to be “totally impartial and objective, and to report on facts as they are on the ground, however harsh or painful they may be.”

The King appointed the Moroccan Ambassador to France Chakib Benmoussa to chair the commission in November 2019.

CSMD members have met with several groups and organizations, including labor unions, entrepreneurs, activists, students, and Moroccans living in remote villages.

In April, the commission launched a website allowing all Moroccans to send proposals for Morocco’s development model. Since its launch, the platform has received over 750 recommendations from ordinary citizens and hundreds more from organizations.

While the CSMD was initially set to present Morocco’s new development model in June, King Mohammed VI offered the commission an additional six months, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The King ordered the CSMD to deliver their work no later than early January 2021.

The additional period is allowing the commission to resume and strengthen its participatory approach.

“CSMD will broaden the consultation and listening process in order to better take into account the expectations and proposals of the country’s citizens and forces in the post-COVID context,” said a statement from the commission in June.

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Rabat – More than a year after she tossed it in the Atlantic Ocean from the shores of the US, Vivian Byerly’s message in a bottle arrived in Morocco.

In April 2019 Byerly, a then third-grader in Susan Fergon’s class at Greensboro Day School, and her fellow classmates wrote letters to be tossed into the sea as part of a classroom assignment. Little did she know how far her bottle would travel. 

Ferguson compiled the lesson after finding inspiration from the “Pirate Day” festivities at the private school in Greensboro. The lesson focused on the powerful Gulf Stream that flows off North Carolina’s coast. 2019 was the first time Ferguson taught the lesson and included the messages in bottles.

Byerly’s letter featured a drawing of a ship and an inspiring quote of her choice from an unknown author. “If you find this message, please let us know,” she wrote in her message. Lastly, she included her teacher’s name and email address, along with the school’s address, in hopes of gaining a response.

After completing the assignments, one of her classmates, Tyler Richardson, offered to toss the class’ bottles into the ocean. He had planned to attend an annual fishing tournament that May off the coast of Morehead City, allowing him to accomplish the task.

Ferguson admitted that while she had hoped for responses to each of her student’s letters, she knew the chance of any response was slim.

Shortly after the tournament, a small fishing boat named Carterican found the first bottle. After that, there were not any responses. The COVID-19 crisis kept Ferguson from repeating the assignment with her next class, adding to the lack of response.

That was until Sunday, August 2, when Ferguson received an email.

The email, from a Moroccan fisherman, said he found Byerly’s bottle and its warm message on White Beach near Guelmim, Morocco. It included photos of the bottle, the message, and the fisherman in Morocco who found it. 

Now in the fifth grade, Byerly and her classmates were excited to receive the response after such a long time. Ferguson said Byerly and the fisherman have maintained correspondence, discussing the journey of the message in a bottle that traveled more than 4,000 miles to Morocco.

According to Greensboro Day School, the fisherman’s nephew translated the letter for his uncle, including the quote with which Vivian started it:

“Be strong because things will get better,” she wrote. “It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever.”

Encouraging words came in challenging times. 

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Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has confirmed 1,018 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases Morocco has recorded to 30,662.

Morocco also recorded an additional 995 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The recoveries count now stands at 21,548, with a recovery rate of 70.28%. This is the highest daily recovery count Morocco has reported thus far.

The ministry recorded 12 more fatalities in the last 24 hours. The total number of deaths stands at 461, with a mortality rate of 1.5%. The ministry recorded five deaths in Casablanca, followed by four in Fez, and one in each Rabat, Tangier, and Marrakech.

The number of COVID-19 patients receiving treatment is now 8,653.

The ministry counts 127 COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, including 23 under artificial respiration.

In the last 24 hours, Moroccan health authorities excluded 20,325 suspected COVID-19 cases. A total of 1,374,497 suspected COVID-19 cases have tested negative since the virus emerged in Morocco.

COVID-19’s geographical dispatch across Morocco

Health authorities in the Fez-Meknes region confirmed 197 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The region’s total now represents 16.28% of all cases the country has recorded.

The region of Marrakech-Safi recorded 36 new cases, now representing 14.69% of Morocco’s case count.

The Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region registered 294 new cases to cover 23.39% of the cases in Morocco. 

The Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 309 (25.79%).

The Rabat-Sale Kenitra region recorded 80 new cases, now accounting for 9.68% of Morocco’s cases.

The region of Draa-Tafilalet recorded 31 new COVID-19 cases, to cover 2.71% of all COVID-19 cases registered in Morocco.

The Oriental region recorded 22 additional cases (1.81%).

The Beni Mellal-Khenifra confirmed 18 new cases to account for 1.35% of all COVID-19 cases recorded in Morocco.

Meanwhile, the region of Souss-Massa confirmed 11 new cases to represent  0.57% of Morocco’s cases.

The Guelmim Oued Noun region recorded six new COVID-19 cases, now representing 0.55% of Morocco’s cases.

Finally, the southern regions of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded seven new cases each to cover 2.85% and 0.34% of Morocco’s cases, respectively.

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Rabat – After a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in Morocco, the European Union has removed the country from its list of countries deemed “safe” for non-essential travel. The decision comes following a review of countries by EU ambassadors on Friday, August 7.

From Saturday, August 8, non-essential travel between the EU and Morocco will no longer be permitted. Travelers from states not on the list of countries deemed to have their COVID-19 epidemic under control are not allowed into EU member states. 

The EU revised the list based on the number of newly recorded COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks. Morocco has seen a record number of new cases in the last two weeks, with 11,828 confirmed from July 25 to August 7. The country has now reported a total of 30,662 cases and 461 deaths. 

On Friday, Morocco recorded 1,018 new cases while also seeing 995 successful recoveries. Although the total number of cases, and particularly deaths, in Morocco is still significantly lower than most European countries, a recent doubling in reported cases has worried Moroccan officials.

Algeria was similarly removed from the EU’s list that currently still features Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay. Travelers of China remain with provisional permission to visit the EU, should China reciprocate open borders.

The Moroccan government has decided to extend its state of emergency in order to ensure necessary measures can be promptly implemented if required.

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Rabat – Photos of Moroccan soldiers stationed at the Western Sahara defense wall, also known as the Berm, are circulating online.

The photos show the difficult conditions Morocco’s armed forces endure as they defend the country and its southern provinces. 

Soldiers stationed at the Berm must withstand the burning sun and scorching temperatures in full gear. The photos circulating online show a thermometer measuring 59.5 degrees Celsius, or 139.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

The photos also show how the desert sands are hot enough to boil water and make coffee.

The scene reveals the extreme conditions that Moroccan soldiers face in Western Sahara, adding to their dangerous mission of guarding the country against foreign aggression.

صورة للجنود المغاربة المرابطين عند الجدار الدفاعي في #الصحراء_الغربية و درجة الحرارة 60 مئوية..
كم من تحية لهم؟ pic.twitter.com/cirW5Dh2Tc

— Sahara Question (@SaharaQuestion) August 6, 2020

The 2,700-kilometer-long Berm marks the border between Morocco and Algeria’s Tindouf province, and acts as a line of defense from potential Polisario hostility. Morocco built the barrier between 1980 and 1987.

However, the Polisario Front has repeatedly violated the 1991 ceasefire agreement with Morocco by maintaining a presence east of the Berm, carrying out military maneuvers, and inaugurating illegal facilities. 

In April 2018, Morocco warned that the presence of Polisario militias in the area may warrant Moroccan military action if the UN fails to intervene.

Despite these warnings and increased UN patrols of the region, Polisario continued to defy UN mandates and remain in the restricted area east of the defense wall. 

Polisario’s presence violates UN Security Council Resolution 2440, which calls on the separatist group to stay out of the buffer zone and the regions east of the Berm so as to not stoke tension with Morocco.

Morocco’s defense wall is also a site of Algerian displays of military aggression. In May, Algerian armed forces carried out military exercises using live ammunition south of Tindouf.

The army tested several weapons and war machines, including missile launchers, mounted machine guns, tanks, helicopters, and armed vehicles.

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Rabat – Algeria’s envoy to Serbia has shrugged off the improved Morocco-Serbia relations, claiming that Morocco is peddling “lies” and inaccurate readings of a sensitive foreign policy issue — Western Sahara — to broaden its diplomatic outreach.

In an article published in the Serbian outlet Politika, Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Algiers’ ambassador to Belgrade, dismissed comments reportedly made late last month by his Moroccan counterpart in an interview with the same paper.

According to a report by Algerian state-run outlet APS, the Moroccan ambassador referred to the disputed territories in southern Morocco as “Moroccan Sahara.” 

In response, Chebchoub accused Morocco of relying on “falsehoods” and “fallacies” to deceive readers and conceal its “colonization” and “occupation” of Western Sahara.

He argued, falsely, that Morocco’s stance on the Sahara question — both its Autonomy Plan and its historical claim to the disputed territory — is an affront to “people’s inalienable right to self-determination” and a distortion of UN resolutions. 

The Algerian ambassador’s whitening response to what he sees as an “amalgamation of Kosovo and Western Sahara” comes amid perceptible signs of improved diplomatic dealings between Rabat and Belgrade. 

New momentum

As part of Rabat’s newfound Western Sahara momentum and its push to expand its diplomatic outreach, Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, visited Serbia in September 2018. 

Bourita and his Serbian counterpart discussed, among other “matters of shared interests,” their countries’ converging views on territorial integrity, cooperation, and peace. 

Visibly satisfied with the outcome of his visit, the Moroccan minister left Belgrade telling reporters that Morocco and Serbia “are in some kind of honeymoon.” He added that the two countries “have good dynamics” and are now seeking to “use [these] dynamics and further develop our relations at the level of strategic ones.”

In similarly warm comments, a statement on the Serbian government’s website recently spoke of the “great opportunities for improvement of relations with Morocco.” 

On the broader diplomatic front, meanwhile, Chebchoub’s comments come amid what many observers see as a considerable Morocco-friendly turn in the diplomatic scramble over Western Sahara.

In recent years, Morocco has secured the endorsement of many countries on the Western Sahara dossier, including some European, African, and Latin American countries that had, until recently, been more receptive of the Algeria-backed pro-Polisario narrative. 

In addition, the most recent UN resolutions on the issue have all acknowledged the “pragmatism” and “realism” of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan. 

As far as Polisario and Algeria are concerned, however, the most frustrating development in recent months may have been reports that the US and some other Western countries are unlikely to adhere to the Algeria-Polisario stance on the convoluted Western Sahara issue. 

According to reports, these countries fear the creation of a new country in the region would exacerbate insecurity in an already fragile and unstable Sahelo-Saharan corridor. 

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Morocco’s Ministry of Health announced a decision to issue exceptional compensation for health professionals.

Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb said on Friday that the government will release the compensation after the study and determination of its amounts, according to transparent criteria of eligibility.

The ministry’s decision came after it announced on Monday, August 3 to suspend annual leave for health professionals.

The ministry made the decision to suspend leave for health professionals this summer due to worrying epidemiological developments, namely a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Ait Taleb said the decision to pay exceptional compensation came after meetings with ministry representatives and unions in the sector.

The amounts will take into account the responsibilities granted to and tasks performed by each of the health professionals in the fight against COVID-19 at local, regional, and central levels.

Ait Taleb informed union representatives of the “positive interaction” with the dossier of the health professionals by both Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani and the Ministry of Economy.

“The calculation method adopted will be presented to the central union, which will have 72 hours to study the proposals presented,” the minister said.

Ait Taleb applauded the dedication of health professionals in the fight against COVID-19. 

He recalled King Mohammed VI’s heartfelt message to medical staff in the 21st anniversary of Throne Day speech.

“This royal tribute encourages professionals to make more efforts to maintain the confidence that the sovereign has placed in them,” Ait Taleb said.

The health minister called on all institutions, stakeholders, and his ministry to work together to carry out the comprehensive reform of the health system and improve the financial situation of all health professionals.

The minister also sent an urgent invitation to the general secretaries of the national health federations to organize dialogue sessions at the beginning of the week.

He said the meetings that started last Tuesday continued throughout the week in a “positive atmosphere and in respect of all preventive and proactive measures recommended by the public authorities.”

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