Speaking before the Social Sectors Commission in the House of Representatives, he said that "Morocco has assumed this responsibility because of the effectiveness of this drug, which can be proven", stressing that the Kingdom has not taken this decision by chance or because there was no other alternative, but because there are clinical trials that have resulted in positive results. 

The ministry has a series of studies conducted on this matter and is working on three studies on the use of chloroquine, added the government official.

After noting that "chloroquine has been used for a long time in the treatment of chronic diseases and malaria, under certain conditions", Ait Taleb said that this molecule had never aroused controversy before today, adding that a packet of this drug costs only 12 MAD.

He also pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) had not banned treatment with chloroquine, but it has suspended its clinical trials on the subject because the doctor remains the only person who can judge the effectiveness of treatment.

Biologically, the effectiveness of chloroquine is observed during the initial phase of infection, since it has an effect of inhibiting viral replication, noted the official.

He also noted that patients recover when chloroquine is used in the early stages of the disease, stressing that "the number of deaths in the Kingdom is among the lowest in the world and that is why we cannot question the effectiveness of this drug."

The Minister said that reports of the scientific committee concerning the cases treated with chloroquine and the duration of treatment will be published, adding that measures have been taken for the importation of the raw material of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and Hydroxychloroquine, in order to avoid stock-out and provide treatment to patients.

Regarding the epidemiological situation in Morocco, Ait Taleb said that there are positive indicators which show that the situation is under control, especially since 85% of new infections are among the contact persons and the Kingdom has exceeded the threshold of 10,000 scans per day.

He also said that a total of 2,531 patients are currently under medical supervision, meaning 8 for every 100,000 inhabitants, while the recovery rate rose to 64% and the fatality rate dropped to stabilize between zero and two deaths a day.

"This is explained by the fact that Enoxaparin is administered by injection to patients as soon as they arrive at the hospital. this is an anticoagulant which prevents the formation of clots in blood vessels," explained Ait Taleb.

He also deemed that the preventive and proactive measures taken by the Kingdom were courageous, since the objective was, from the start, to protect the citizen and regain his confidence in the health sector.

With regard to the conditions to be fulfilled to ease quarantine restrictions, the Minister mentioned the drop in new cases of contamination and the decrease of the virus spread indicator below the value 1, in addition to the drop in the mortality rate to 3% or less.

He underlined that the success of the gradual lifting of quarantine requires, today, the resumption of activity while avoiding a return of the epidemic.