MMDAs must relocate markets from school parks before reopening

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to immediately relocate satellite markets on school parks in preparation towards the reopening of schools for final year students.

Most MMDAs in a bid to observe social distancing in crowded markets relocated some traders from their main markets to school parks.

Such markets included the ones created by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) at the Twedaase School, Community Seven School Park and the Oninku Drive School Park.

Environmental Health Officers at the TMA made the call for a relocation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following the easing of the ban on social gathering and schools in the 10th COVID-19 national address by the President.

The President announced that from June 15, 2020 schools were reopened for final year students of tertiary institution which would be followed by form three and form two gold track students of the Senior High School on June 22, 2020, and that of junior high schools on June 29, 2020.

Mr Joshua Manab, and Mr Benjamin Kwame Opare, Assistant Chief Environmental Officer and Environmental Health Officer respectively, said the final year students would not be able to attend school while the markets were still operating on their premises.

They stated that creating a safe environment for teaching and learning was very important therefore the need to urgently relocate the traders back into the markets or to football parks and any available places in the area instead of the schools.

They explained that an environmentally friendly place for learning must be devoid of noise, dust and waste, saying these three things could not be guarantee when the satellite markets remained as according to them, noise and waste generation was a common feature of markets.

The environmental officers said it would be difficult for students to concentrate in the classroom while traders shout and call for buyers on their compound adding that students mingling with traders and buyers could also increase the chances of recording COVID-19 in schools.

Meanwhile, the GNA learnt that all second cycle institutions in Tema Metropolis had been disinfected with plans advanced for the exercise to be carried out at the basic schools before the date of reopening for the JHS final year students.

Mr Frank Asante, Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s Public Affairs Officer reacting to the call said the Assembly had met with the market queens and was putting in measures to ensure the markets were COVID-19 protocols friendly before opening.