Coronavirus: ASWIM urges traders to be serious about prevention

The Association of Women in Media (ASWIM), has advised traders, especially market women to strictly adhere to the preventive etiquette of social distancing, regular washing of hands with soap under running water and the wearing of face masks.

They should also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and ensure the cleanliness of the markets.

Mrs Mavis Kitcher, the President, who led a team to the La Market on Thursday, as part of ASWIM’s sensitisation programme to engage market women about the threat of the disease to socio-economic life, said their role was key in containing the disease.

In view of the traders’ constant engagement with the public, especially in market centres, they were at a higher risk of being infected or spreading the disease.

The congestive manner in which traders positioned their wares and also sat closely to each other also compounded the matter, she noted.

ASWIM was, therefore, visiting them at their trading areas to encourage them to cooperate with the Health and law enforcement authorities in efforts to contain the disease, especially in the era of community transmission.

It has also been donating sanitizers to them for disinfecting of their hands.

“Market women are critical persons in our families and the economy, but we know that how they usually sit to sell is not the right distance. So we need to help them to do the right thing,” she emphasised.

Mrs Kitcher, therefore, commended the women in the La Market for strictly adhering to the social distancing protocol and wearing face masks.

“When we got here, we were asked to wash our hands before entering the market. We have also observed significant spacing in-between the traders and most of them are wearing the face masks,” she noted.

The Association, she assured, would continue to support more markets whenever they were equipped with logistics and advised that people observed the precautionary measures to stay safe of the respiratory disease.

Mrs Kitcher appealed to buyers and traders who found the demand on them to wash their hands before entering the market, or other institutions offensive, to cooperate and join forces with government to fight the canker.

Mrs Kitcher presented 100 bottles of hand sanitizers, ASWIM received from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, to the leadership of the Market for the members.

Ms Mary Mensah, the Convener of ASWIM, appealed to corporate institutions including sanitizer manufacturing companies, to support ASWIM to enable it to also extend support to more vulnerable people.

“All benevolent groups and individuals who want to donate to ASWIM in this regard can visit the Ghana International Press Centre at Ridge with the items and we would gladly receive them with gratitude,” she appealed.

Mrs Mabel Larsey, the Secretary of the La Market Women Association, commended ASWIM for the support, saying, it was timely because the market had run out of sanitizers.

“As for the hand sanitizers, they are very important because we have been educated to use it shortly after taking money from buyers. Because if someone has it and holds money and then gives it to you, you might also get the disease,” she said.

She said the washing of hands before entering the market was strictly enforced, after veronica buckets were placed at all the entry points.

“We also ensure that we adhere to the social distancing protocol here. As you can see, some of the traders have even demarcated where a buyer would stand to purchase an item with a rope, so that he or she doesn’t get too close to the trader,” she said.