The hustle and bustle on the streets of Accra that characterized a regular Monday was nonexistent on the first day of the partial lockdown imposed on Accra and Kumasi to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Few private and commercial vehicles plied the streets allowing for free flow of both human and vehicular traffic.
Some fuel attendants who spoke to Citi News said they were yet to make any meaningful sales at the time Citi News visited their stations.
One gentleman cried saying, “Due to the spread of the virus, people are not able to come to town to buy fuel so sales have really gone down. It’s not selling like normal. Everything has gone down automatically.”
“Because of this virus, the business has gone down. We are no more active like before. The work has become boring,” another said.
This situation wasn’t different at pharmaceutical shops.
The Sales and Marketing Head at the East Cantonments Pharmacy Limited, Ebenezer Holm Graves said, “It is not a normal day and as you know, we are not in normal times. So business is not as usual. The day has started very quiet. My chat with the respective branches indicates that there has been a very low turnout of customers. Prescriptions for a Monday and people coming in for medications at the retail level is quite brisk. But as you can see, it’s just one customer who has been here so far. So things are pretty much on the low side. So far as you have medical needs, the pharmacies are open. We are not shut to serving the general public.”
Background
President Nana Akufo-Addo imposed a two-week partial lockdown on Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi from Monday, March 30, 2020, while delivering a national address on Friday, March 27.
This formed parts of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Ghana and ensure efficient contact tracing to patients.
He, however, made exemptions to this directive, saying that ome essential service providers will not be forced to lock down.
The list of services to be exempted from the restrictions as announced by President Akufo-Addo are as follows:
- Members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary;
- Production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages.
- Environmental and sanitation activities;
- VALCO staff
- Road and Railway construction workers;
- Mining workers;
- Fisherfolk;
- Members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties;
- The Media
- The staff of electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers; and
- Fuel stations staff.