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Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Thursday warned that a new and harsher lockdown could be imposed if the country fails to halt the rapid spike in COVID-19 infections.
If figures continue to increase, the COVID-19 Scientific Committee may recommend another lockdown, perhaps with even tighter restrictions, the king said in a speech on the 67th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People.
"The deterioration of the health situation today is unfortunate and does not leave much room for optimism," he said.
The North African country eased a nationwide anti-coronavirus lockdown in July.
"Once the lockdown was lifted, the numbers of confirmed cases, severe cases and deaths have increased more than threefold over a short period of time, compared to those registered during the lockdown," the Moroccan king noted.
Without strict, responsible compliance with health and safety measures, the number of cases and deaths will increase, and hospitals will no longer be able to cope, he warned.
Morocco registered 1,325 new COVID-19 cases and 32 deaths on Thursday, increasing the tally of infections since March 2 to 47,638 and the death toll to 775.
Activists and health workers have recently warned that public hospitals are in dire conditions due to the rapid surge of coronavirus infections since Aug. 1.
(CGTN)
