COVID-19 national lockdown in Morocco: impacts on air quality and public health

On the 20^th April 2020, the end date of the first strict lockdown period in Morocco, 2 403 410 cases of the corona Virus were confirmed globally. The number of Morocco confirmed cases attended 2990, while 12 746 were suspected and 143 deaths were recorded. Due to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 worldwide and in Morocco, almost all avoidable activities in the country were prohibited since the kingdom announced activities reduction on March 16, 2020 and then general lockdown with reduced industrial activities on March 20, 2020.

This study aims at comparing the air quality status in Casablanca and Marrakech, two large cities from Morocco, before the pandemic and during the lockdown situation to show whether COVID-19 compelled-anthropogenic activities lockdown may have saved lives by restraining ambient air pollution than by preventing infection.

We found that, during the quarantine, NO₂ dropped by -12 μg/m³ in Casablanca and -7 μg/m³ in Marrakech. PM_2·5 dropped by -18 μg/m³ in Casablanca and -14 μg/m³ in Marrakech. CO dropped by -0.04 mg/m³ in Casablanca and -0.12 mg/m³ in Marrakech. This air pollution reduction had created human health benefits and had reduced mortality and saved lives mainly from cardiovascular diseases.