Market women and commercial vehicle operators within the Ablekuma North municipality have been urged to observe the various Coronavirus (COVID-19) protocol to help mitigate its spread.
The Municipal Health Information Officer at the Ablekuma North Municipal Health Directorate, Wilson Addai Asare Oyiadjo, gave the advice on Thursday when NaaooNaa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation based in Accra donated some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Veronica buckets to the Odorkor market and trotro station.
According to Mr Oyiadjo, traders and customers without PPEs were not allowed into the markets and trotro stations stating that, “I have personally driven away some customers or forced them to buy nose masks before entering some markets within the municipality.”
“The face or nose masks have now become part of our clothing and we must ensure that we have them on whenever we step out,” he added.
He said that the municipal assembly had already initiated steps to fight the pandemic and had intensified its education and sensitisation drive within the municipality.
Mr Oyiadjo said though the municipality had recorded some cases, it was necessary for the municipal assembly and the health directorate to ensure that its citizenry adhere strictly to the protocol of disease.
He said most markets and other businesses within the municipality were observing social distancing with traders at Mallam market running a shift system explaining, “The market women have been given cards to come to the market on specific days all in the bid to observe the COVID-19 protocol.”
He urged residents to continue to observe the protocol, especially the wearing of masks and frequent washing of hands.
The founder of NaaooNaa foundation, Racheal Naa Darkoa Aryee, said the exercise was to contribute her quota to the fight against the disease.
She said the market and trotro station were essential parts of every community, hence the need to sensitise stakeholders on the disease.
She called on the market women and commercial drivers to live by the protocol and not stigmatise anyone who had recovered from the disease.
The foundation later shared hand sanitisers and nose masks to the market women as well as to the trotro drivers and their mates.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
