Minister encourages market women to run shift

Ms Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, has advised market women to start practising shift system as a key measure of crowd control in the wake of the deadly pandemic.

She also encouraged all Market queens to begin selling the idea among the various groupings of foodstuff sellers, fishmongers for the needed results.

The Minister gave the advice when she launched the Western Regional public education campaign on the Coronavirus and the distribution of "Veronica Buckets" and other accessories to various market queens and transport unions across the Region.

The Minister indicated "For instance, Tomatoes sellers could come in turns and rotate trading throughout the week as we observe the social distancing", she added.

Ms Oteng-Gyasi said social distancing was key in avoiding the spread of the virus and as such, markets that housed many more people on a daily basis aside the transport terminals must be the focus in curbing the spread.

She also advocated self-quarantine adding, "Stay home if you have no business in the market or town, there is no need for window shopping in these critical times".

Mr Kobby Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister called on Ghanaians to accept the President’s directives to contain Coronavirus.

He said Parliament had given that sole right to the President to place a mandatory ban on all Ghanaians should the situation escalate and therefore stressed the need to abide by all the directives.

Mr Darko-Mensah said there was also no need for fear and panic among the populace once all the health steps and general directives were correctly adhered to.

The Regional Minister said, "We need to avoid any ultimate shutdown of the country by the President and that is the more reason why we need to undergo all these serious preparations...this is more than a world cup".

He encouraged all and sundry to help spread the message of hope to all to avoid fear and panic.

The market women and the various transport unions pledged their commitment in containing the spread of the disease.

Dr Kofi Asamening-Mensah, the Deputy Director of Public Health in the Western Region said officers were trained and there were isolation centres created all over the Region in preparedness.

He added that all the seven suspected cases sent for testing had proven negative adding, "There is no cause for alarm in the Region".