Omicron causes 95% of Morocco's new Covid cases: Health Ministry

Rabat, Jan 19 (IANS) The Omicron variant has caused 95 per cent of the new Covid-19 infections in Morocco, the country's ministry of health has said.

The virus is still spreading with high circulation, and community transmission is approaching its peak, said the ministry in a periodical report.

Morocco has been undergoing the third wave of Covid for five weeks, it said, adding 46,569 cases were added during the last week, marking an increase of 33 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 536 coronavirus cases were recorded in intensive care units during the past week, while there were only 42 during the first week of the wave, according to the report.

A total of 65 Covid deaths were reported from January 3 to 17, with 70 per cent unvaccinated, it said.

Morocco on Tuesday reported 7,756 Covid cases and 18 deaths over the past 24 hours.

A total of 24,622,584 people in the North African country have received the first dose of Covid vaccine while the number of the double-vaccinated has reached 23,022,549, and the third booster shot has covered 3,921,889, according to the ministry.