Shops closed in Koforidua markets to check coronavirus spread

Correspondence from Eastern Region

Shops in all major markets in Koforidua have shutdown following earlier directives from the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly last week.

The directive, meant to compel buyers and sellers to observe social distancing within the markets, asked all non-food items traders to stop selling until further notice.

The traders include cloths sellers, second-hand clothes dealers, jewellery and beads dealers, dressmakers, hairdressers, cosmetics and shoes sellers among others.

A tour around the Koforidua Central Market, the Juaben Serwaa Market and the Agatha Market saw all the shops trading in clothing, shoes and hardware among others locked.

Only stalls and shops trading in essentials and edibles could be seen open for business.

Also, traders who sell along pedestrian lanes and streets have all been sacked from those places creating ease for all pedestrians.

The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Ike Appaw-Gyasi, giving the directive last week, indicated that all the non-food traders were to suspend their activities starting from Sunday, April 12 to April 26, 2020, subject to review.

The New Juaben South, according to the Regional Health Directorate recorded two suspected cases of Coronavirus which are awaiting confirmation or otherwise from the Noguchi Memorial Center.

Until then, the NJSMA has no COVID-19 case recorded but local authorities think it would be best to put some stringent measures in place to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic in the Municipality.

Presently, the Eastern Region has recorded a total of 32 COVID-19 cases with 31 coming from the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality while the other one case comes from the Fanteakwa North District.