Morocco Warns Businesses of Sanctions Amid COVID-19 Cluster Surge

Without mincing words, the government members reiterated to their interlocutors their obligations in this daily fight to improve the epidemiological situation of the country.

In a press release from the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministers of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb, of Trade and Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy and of Tourism and Crafts, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, insisted that the authorities’ willingness to promote the resumption of economic activity cannot justify laxity and non-compliance with necessary precautions, or the shortcomings observed in others, in the application of the mandatory measures decided to control this health crisis. Among these are social distancing, cleanliness, mandatory mask wearing, and the installation of the Wiqaytna application.

They also invited the representatives of the CGEM to assume their responsibility more than ever, by continuing to raise awareness among business leaders about respecting precautionary measures, rules and health protocols enacted to prevent the appearance of clusters within industrial units.

For Abdelouafi Laftit, the measures adopted by the authorities have been discussed in several meetings with the CGEM at the local and national level. The Minister of the Interior said he was surprised by the non-compliance with these measures.

As a result, this relaxation has led to the expansion of the epidemic and the appearance of clusters in several production units, such as in Lalla Mimouna (Frigodar and Natberry Maroc) and Safi (Unimer Etamar...). He also specified that the cases recorded in the professional environment and their contact cases represent 47% of the cumulative cases since the gradual resumption of activity.

As for the representatives of the CGEM, they expressed their full commitment to collaboration with the authorities, and their willingness to make further efforts to fight the spread of the virus. They also promised to raise awareness among employers and employees, and to make protective equipment available within the workplace and during staff transportation.