Is there a relationship between industrial clusters and the prevalence of COVID‐19 in the provinces of Morocco?

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to verify if there is a relationship between industrial agglomeration and the prevalence of COVID‐19 and its diffusion within and between the provinces of Morocco. To do so, we used spatial exploratory analysis and spatial econometrics to show that the preponderance of industrial activity in a province has a significant effect on the number of active COVID‐19 cases in that province. On the other hand, we have shown that the spatial diffusion of this effect is not significant, which indicates the appropriateness of the lockdown implemented. We have also shown that age, socio‐economic deficits and habitat conditions are not significant determinants in the onset and spread of the pandemic.

The effect of government support on Bureaucracy, COVID-19 resilience and export intensity: Evidence from North Africa

“…However, taking a broader view, in their review of seventeen countries 2 , Gourinchas et al (2020) estimated that the absence of government support would have increased SME failures by 9.1% and put at risk 4.6% of private sector employment. In Morocco, government support has taken the forms of tax deferrals ( Bachisse and Mouline, 2021 ), government backed loans ( Boumahdi et al, 2021 ), and direct cash transfers ( Ninich et al, 2021 ). Yet, in their analysis, Fakhoury and Fakih (2021) stress that there is a shortage of resilience among SMEs in the country while, contrastingly, in another study, Lahcen et al (2021 : 226) claim that ‘more than 95% of Moroccan SMEs have been able to maintain their activity’, and many ‘have shown resilience and agility to overcome the devastating effects of the crisis’.…”

The Spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Russian Regions in 2020: Models and Reality

“…В контексте нашего исследования особого внимания заслуживают несколько работ, посвященных производственным факторам, которые в промышленных районах и странах выступили катализаторами заражения: в старопромышленных районах угледобычи в Польше такими причинами стали урбанизация и индустриализация, а очагами -депрессивные монопрофильные города [14], в Марокко -промышленные кластеры [15]. Промышленные предприятия выступают очагами, точками концентрации больших масс людей, которые, возвращаясь с работы домой, заражают свои семьи.…”

Place-based factors affecting COVID-19 incidences in Turkey

“…The results show that urban agglomerations, including large-scale industries and companies, significantly affect COVID-19 incidence in different regions. Another study driven by Boumahdi et al ( 2021 ) clarifies the role of industrial clusters in the propagation of viruses. They employed spatial statistical techniques, such as exploratory analysis and spatial econometrics, to prove the maximum impact of industrial activity; moreover, they examined this issue over different periods: before and after the lockdown implementations.…”

“…Some researchers have also focused on the relationship between health and social geography (De Kadt et al 2020 ; Gibson and Rush, 2020 ; Kuupiel et al 2020 ; Hierro and Maza 2022 ). Additionally, some have made interdisciplinary correlations between COVID-19 and social behavior (Allcot et al 2020 ; Kuchler et al 2020 ; Martinho 2021 ; Boumahdi et al 2021 ; Cutrini and Savati 2021 ; Florida and Mellander 2022 ).…”