The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still around and thus Ghanaians must wake up to that reality and follow the safety protocols, Deputy North East Regional Minister, Mr. Tahiru Tia Ahmed, has said.
According to him, though his region was fortunate not to have recorded any COVID-19 case in the past five months, it was risky for the people to relax, adding that that has the tendency to lead to widespread community infections.
Mr. Tia Ahmmed made the observation while speaking to journalists at the North East Regional Coordinating Council (N/E RCC) on Wednesday (November 11, 2020) at Nalerigu during the third phase of disinfection of markets and other public places in the region.
The two-day operation [Wednesday, November 11 – Thursday, November 12, 2020], is a collaboration between the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
It was aimed at keeping these public places safe from COVID-19 and other bacteria for trading and other business transactions to take place.
“This exercise [third phase disinfection] is timely as it will wake up people to the fact that COVID-19 is there and therefore, the need for them to follow the safety protocols,” he stressed.
Following the COVID-19 safety protocols will prevent the region from recording any cases again, he added.
On what the RCC was doing to prevent any more cases, Tia Ahmmed said they have been holding regular meetings with leaders of churches, mosques, queen mothers, and other interest groups where they implore them to educate their members on the need to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive measures.”
“That explains why so far no case has been recorded again in the region,” he noted.
The acting North East Regional Manager, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Adams Nahimu, said the operation will cover over 100 markets in the region.
The third phase market disinfection, he explained, has become necessary because of the steady rise in Covid infections across the country.
He gave the assurance that his outfit will do a quality job, adding that places that were not covered in the previous ones would be disinfected.
The exercise started at exactly 11:00 a.m, at the Nalerigu Old Market where shops and sheds were disinfected.
From the Nalerigu Old Market, the Zoomlion disinfection crew moved to the Gambaga, Lanbginsi, and Walewale markets. The exercise will end today, Thursday (November 12, 2020).