Morocco’s economy ministry said on Friday it had allocated two billion dirhams ($201 million) to bolster medical equipment needed to fight the novel coronavirus, including the purchase of 100 000 testing kits.
The money would also be used to buy medicine, provide 1 000 new intensive care beds and 550 ventilators, the ministry said in a statement.
The outlays would be financed by a special fund dedicated to combatting the deadly virus endowed with a total of 25 billion dirhams (over $2.5 billion), comprised of state and private contributions.
Morocco imposed a public health state of emergency last Friday in a bid to forestall the spread of the virus, which has so far infected 333 people, of which 21 have died, according to official figures.
However, barely 1 000 tests have been conducted in the nation of some 35 million people.