Morocco on Friday reported 539 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest single-day increase so far, taking the number of infections in the country since March 2 to 9,613.
The Ministry of Health said 457 new cases were found in industrial units specialized in packaging strawberries in the agricultural town of Lalla Mimouna near the northern city of Moulay Bousselham.
The whole region was placed under quarantine on Friday with more than 20 agro-industrial units closed, according to local media.
The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 8,117 after 76 new ones were added, while the death toll remained unchanged at 213, Hind Ezzine, head of the Department of Epidemic Diseases of the Ministry of Health, said.
In addition, 5,340 contacts with the coronavirus patients are still under medical surveillance, and 10 patients are in intensive care units.
The COVID-19 death rate in Morocco stabilized at 2.2 percent, with the recovery rate at 84.5 percent, the official noted.
China has helped Morocco in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
A batch of medical supplies donated by the government of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was transported on June 8 to Casablanca-Settat in Morocco.
On May 14, China Development Bank sent a batch of donation, including respirators and medical protective masks, to Morocco to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
China’s Guizhou Province also donated 15,000 surgical gloves, 20,000 medical masks and 2,000 protective suits to help Moroccan medical workers fight the pandemic.
