Speaking on Belgian WebTV "MARABEL TV", Touri shed light on Morocco's achievements in the fight against the pandemic, which has earned the Kingdom the congratulations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and of many international media who have stressed that "Morocco ranks among the countries that have been most successful in managing this global health crisis."
From the outset of the pandemic, Morocco has undertaken strong actions on the strategic and operational plans to break the chains of contamination, through the proclamation of a state of health emergency, the closure of borders, containment and the establishment of a protocol for the care of coronavirus patients, he recalled.
He also highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to address the global shortage of masks. About thirty textile companies have been reconverted, which has enabled Morocco to reach a production capacity of 10 million masks per day, Touri added.
"Morocco has created its own test kits and imagined a respirator adapted for home use and was one of the first to distribute chloroquine on a large scale to its population and even to market internationally its production of masks," he said.
As for the number of screening tests, it has exceeded 17,500 per day in 24 national laboratories, Touri stated.
The Consul also highlighted Morocco's efforts to mitigate the impact of the health crisis. As of March 25, 2020, Morocco deployed a Special Fund for the management of the pandemic worth 10 billion dirhams, the Consul added.
Initially endowed with budgetary resources, then supplemented by contributions from the private and public sectors, the Fund was used to finance expenditure to upgrade the medical system, support the national economy and preserve jobs.
Some 5 million families earning their income from the informal sector or precarious jobs have received direct financial assistance to cope with the crisis. Similarly, SMEs have benefited from tax exemptions and credits at low-interest rates.
The Consul also recalled the decision of HM the King to make available urgent medical aid (medicines, protective masks...) to several African countries to help them cope with the health crisis.
Regarding vaccination, Touri welcomed the fact that Morocco can play "the leadership role in Africa thanks to the Royal instructions on the supply of vaccines, free of charge for the benefit of citizens and the logistics set up throughout the country.
As of January 28, the day HM the King launched the vaccination campaign in Morocco, nearly 4 million citizens have been vaccinated, including nearly 200,000 who have already received their second dose, he concluded.