A total of 133 cases of contamination with the new coronavirus have been detected in a prison in southern Morocco, according to a new report made public by the Moroccan prison authorities on Thursday. These cases were recorded at the local prison of Ouarzazate (south), after tests carried out on 309 of its detainees, indicated the direction of the prison administration (DGAPR) in a statement.
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"All the detainees who tested positive were isolated in a special area where they will be subjected to the treatment protocol adopted by the authorities," the same source said. To treat infected patients, the kingdom uses chloroquine, an antimalarial currently being tested in several countries. This assessment includes about sixty cases previously registered in the same prison, especially among its officials. A dozen cases have also been detected in the prisons of Marrakech (south) and Ksar Kebir (north).
The cases of contamination in the Moroccan penal establishments, which count nearly 80,000 prisoners, are "limited" because of "preventive measures" adopted against the spread of the new coronavirus, according to the DGAPR. In early April, more than 5,654 detainees were released to reduce the risk of spread to notoriously overcrowded prisons. Other countries in the Middle East and North Africa have followed suit, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has called for the release of detainees around the world.
In Morocco, 3,537 cases of contamination have been officially counted, including 151 deaths and 430 cures, according to the latest report Thursday. Authorities have imposed containment measures and the mandatory wearing of masks, under close control of the police, who have arrested more than 57,000 people since mid-March. The state of health emergency has been extended until May 20.