Morocco’s Health Minister Defends Vaccine Pass Mandate Amid Opposition Criticism

The opposition blames the government for "the haste and the difficulties endured by the destitute citizens" of the vaccine pass, which has now become a mandatory document to enter cafes, restaurants, administration and many other public places. For the Minister of Health, the vaccine pass is far from being a punishment. "This debate is secondary, because the objective of the vaccine pass is to protect the health of citizens and preserve the gains obtained through the vaccination of a total of 24 million people," said Khalid Ait Taleb.

However, for the deputies of the PPS and the PJD, imposing the vaccine pass to the point of causing "discontent, intempestive checks and sit-ins" is a bad decision. "Students were prevented from taking their exams and competitions and many people were denied access," regretted PPS deputy Rachid Rahmouni.

On this issue, the deputies of the majority, like those of the RNI (Mohamed Simo) and the PAM (Ahmed Touizi, head of the parliamentary group) supported the decision, describing the opposition’s position as unjustified. "We want to protect our society and put an end to this pandemic. We have to choose between life and death," said Mohamed Simo, deputy from the Ksar Kébir region.

Khalid Aït Taleb stressed that "by imposing the vaccine pass, the government has had the expected effect, since the vaccination centers have been stormed by citizens eager to have the precious pass.