Rabat – Cafe and restaurant owners in Morocco are calling on the government to cancel its recently implemented vaccine pass mandate.
Despite being ordered by Moroccan public authorities, cafe and restaurant owners in Morocco will not check customers’ vaccination passports upon entry.
According to a statement issued by the National Federation of Cafe and Restaurant Owners’ Associations in Morocco, sector professionals state they will not require customers to present their vaccine passes to allow them to enter cafes and restaurants.
The federation argues in its press release that “checking customers’ vaccine passes does not fall under our responsibilities, and rumors circulating online about owners denying customers are not true.”
The professionals unanimously agreed on this decision in order to avoid collisions with customers, and avoid having to deny them at the door.
Emerging loopholes
The national federation wants the government to consult with the professionals in the sector, stating that “the government was supposed to consult with workers and cafe owners prior to issuing the mandate.”
According to the sector representatives, “herd immunity should not come at the expense of the sector,” adding that “this may be the fatal blow to the already dying sector.”
The statement emphasized the dire economic situation most Moroccan leisure institutions are facing as a result of the pandemic.
On October 21, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) posited that it might even be illegal for them to comply with the mandate. While they are technically required to check for vaccine passes, they are officially not allowed to verify these documents by checking identification papers, which they state falls under the mandate of government authorities.
Moroccans are in a state of confusion in the face of the government’s latest decision. Close to 30,000 people have signed a petition, demanding a two-month delay in the execution of the mandate.
A Moroccan political party, the Unified Socialist Party (PSU) is taking it up to the constitutional court, arguing the new mandate is in violation of a citizen’s freedom of movement, considering the government’s initial position that the vaccine was not mandatory.
The government stated that in order to reach its goal, which is an 80% national vaccination rate by the end of 2021, it has adopted the new precautionary approach.
