Upper East Regional Minister and Chairperson of the Upper East Regional Security Council, Tangoba Abayage has strongly warned that any market within the region that will not adhere to the hygienic measures outlined by the state shall be closed down.
In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo directed that the country’s markets should strictly adhere to all hygienic practices as outlined by the state.
Ms. Abayage reiterated that, the region will not compromise all the measures taken by the government to prevent and contain COVID-19 and further cautioned that, any market that refuses to keep the environment clean and safe at all times will be closed down.
She disclosed this to Citi News, in Bolgatanga after a donation of handwashing facilities and hand sanitizers by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Zoomlion Ghana to the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies.
She admonished market leaders in the region to ensure that the items put to good use warning that, any market goes contrary to the directives of strick hygienic practices shall be closed down.
“The caution is that, if any market decides to flaunt these directives of keeping the environment clean and disobey the rules of personal hygiene and sanitation, then the market risks closure.”
“This directive is coming from the administrator of Common Fund from the office of the President Nana Akufo-Addo that, any market that refuses to obey the directives of keeping the markets clean and safe for use, that market risk to be closed down.”
“It is for our own safety that, we wash our hands under running water and use hand sanitizers and observe social distancing in order to keep the COVID-19 away from us”.
Ms Abayage tasked all assemblies to enforce that, the directives are adhered to and accordingly punish those market that will go contrary to the directives.
“It is the duty of all municipal and district assemblies to have teams monitoring their markets and ensuring that, the handwashing facilities given them are put to good use and also enforce all directives issued by President Nana Addo to prevent further spread of the COVID-19”.
For his part, Upper East Regional Dire6of Health services, Dr. Winfred Ofosu advised persons with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home and call the COVID -19 emergency numbers for swift medical attention.
This he explains will prevent further transmission of the virus and ensure effective contact-tracing.
Dr. Ofosu also advised the public to strictly observe social distancing at the hotels and restaurants and if possible desist from eating at restaurants and chop-bars to avert COVID-19.
“The hotels, restaurants and chop bars should provide hand and respiratory hygiene facilities for the clients and the arrangements in the restaurants and bars should be that of social distancing.
As much as possible, we even urge people that, if you are hungry you can go and buy your food and go either to your home or the office to eat instead of staying there.
This is because, when you stay in the area and someone happens to release the virus into the air, the longer you stay in the area, the higher the doses and the more likely that you will get infected”.
Various assemblies in the region were allocated veronica buckets, liquid soap, pieces of tissue, hand sanitizers among others to be placed at vantage points for proper personal hygiene.
