Hajia Alima calls for closure of markets for disinfestation against coronavirus

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama has appealed to market women and all patrons to prepare to have their markets closed for at least a day for mass disinfestation spraying across the country against the novel Coronavirus disease.

She made the call when she formally launched the Nationwide Disinfestation Exercise-covid-19 in Accra.

She disclosed that the ministry through the Common Fund has procured waste bins, Veronica buckets, Jumbo Tissue, Hand Sanitizers, liquid soap and requisite chemicals for disinfestation of markets, lorry parks and public places among others. The other items will be placed at vantage points in public places for members of the society to use.

Hon. Alima Mahama appealed to Ghanaians to abide by the directives issued by the President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to practice social distancing, regular hand washing with soap and running water, avoidance of handshaking and covering of mouth and nose during coughing and sneezing respectively.

She said all the items mentioned are already deployed to the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for further distribution and usage in the communities.

She said all the female ministers in the country have been charged to go and educate the market women in the sixteen regions but was quick to state that they will do that by adopting social distancing and the observance of not World Health Organisation's (WHO) requirement of less than 25 persons in every market they go.

Ghana has confirmed 19 cases of Coronavirus as of March 20, 2020, and eight of them recovered without death reported.

Last Saturday it was reported that by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that so far 274,228 cases have been recorded worldwide out of which 90,939 have been recovered and 11,355 died.

In Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday told Ghanaians that 19 cases have been confirmed out of which one has died.

Currently, two more cases of Ghanaian cases have been confirmed by health experts.

The President, therefore, declared Wednesday 25 March 2020 as a national prayer day and entreated all Ghanaians to participate.