"For these efforts not to be in vain, it is imperative that we redouble our vigilance and intensify protective measures so that we do not lose everything we have gained," he said in a statement to the press on Saturday.

Ouaqouaq said that in epidemiology, all predictions must be considered with great care, referring in this regard to the curve developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) composed of four phases relating to the appearance of the disease, its slow and then faster progression before reaching a peak, then its descent and disappearance.

 "Looking at this curve reminds us of the curve of the normal laws which, according to mathematicians, statisticians and epidemiologists, prove to be the most suitable for modelling a natural phenomenon resulting from a random event," he explained.

 Composed of 10 hospitals, Ibn Sina has a capacity of over 1,500 beds and a staff composed of more than 6,000 people.