عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

COVID-19 Cases Continue to Drop in Morocco

People wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, during a national coronavirus vaccination campaign, in Sale, Morocco January 29, 2021. (Reuters)
People wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, during a national coronavirus vaccination campaign, in Sale, Morocco January 29, 2021. (Reuters)
TT
TT

COVID-19 Cases Continue to Drop in Morocco

People wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, during a national coronavirus vaccination campaign, in Sale, Morocco January 29, 2021. (Reuters)
People wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, during a national coronavirus vaccination campaign, in Sale, Morocco January 29, 2021. (Reuters)

Morocco has been witnessing a steady decline in COVID-19 cases for five straight weeks, Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Head of the department of communicable diseases, Abdelkrim Meziane Bellefquih warned however, that high numbers of critical cases and deaths continue to be recorded.

During a bimonthly briefing on the outbreak in the country, he said infections fell from 42,424 cases per week recorded at the end of August to 20,562 last week, a decrease of 52 percent.

“The number of critical cases fell by 30 percent, from 2,537 two weeks ago to 1,764 until Monday while the occupancy rate of beds dedicated to critical cases rose from 50 percent to 33 percent during the same period,” he added.

Tackling the COVID-19 vaccination process, Meziane Bellefquih stressed Morocco has administered over 36 million injections, calling for the strictest compliance to preventive measures and for more people to sign up to receive the jab.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Russia Denies its Hmeimim Base in Syria Is Being Used to Supply Hezbollah with Weapons from Iran

A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, northwest Syria, on May 4, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)
A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, northwest Syria, on May 4, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)
TT
TT

Russia Denies its Hmeimim Base in Syria Is Being Used to Supply Hezbollah with Weapons from Iran

A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, northwest Syria, on May 4, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)
A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, northwest Syria, on May 4, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has asked Israel to avoid launching aerial strikes as part of its war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah near one of Moscow’s bases in Syria, a top official said Wednesday.

Syrian state media in mid-October claimed that Israel had struck the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russia and in turn backs Hezbollah.

Latakia, and in particular its airport, is close to the town of Hmeimim that hosts a Russian air base.

“Israel actually carried out an air strike in the immediate vicinity of Hmeimim,” Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy in the Near East, told the RIA Novosti press agency.

“Our military has of course notified Israeli authorities that such acts that put Russian military lives in danger over there are unacceptable,” he added.

“That is why we hope that this incident in October will not be repeated.”

Israel has carried out intensive bombing of Syria but rarely targets Latakia, to the northwest of Damascus.

Israel accuses Hezbollah of transporting weapons through Syria.

The two warring parties have been in open conflict since September after Israel’s year-long Gaza war with Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — escalated to a new front.

Lavrentiev said that Russia’s air base was not being used to supply Hezbollah with weapons.

Israel stepped up strikes on Syria at the same time as targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian government forces and groups supported by its arch-foe Iran, notably Hezbollah fighters that have been deployed to assist Assad’s regime.

Israel rarely comments on its strikes but has said it will not allow Iran to extend its presence to Syria.