Wearing of nose masks declines in Hohoe

The wearing of nose masks as a major precautionary measure against the spread of the COVID-19 is on the decline in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region.

Most people seen on the streets and markets are either not in nose masks or wrongly wore the masks exposing themselves to the virus.

Mr Bright Agyekum, a nose mask vendor told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that nose masks sales had gone down in the past two weeks and that people were doubting the existence of the disease.

Master John Avorgah, a trader who was not in a nose mask said he forgot his mask but did not think it was necessary.

The GNA also observed that people no longer washed their hands before accessing services while most handwashing stations do not have tissue papers or soaps.

Public and private offices, however, have "no nose masks, no entry" in their premises.

It was also observed that market women continued to defy the ban on activities on Monday and Friday market days by the Assembly to fight the disease.

Mr. Seidu Alhassan, a Station Master told GNA that most passengers were not wearing masks and bemoaned the absence of a task force to enforce directives on precautionary measures such as wearing of nose masks.

He said although drivers were adhering to reducing the number of passengers, wearing nose masks by passengers had not been encouraging and called on the government to put in stringent measures to ensure the compulsory wearing of nose masks.

When the GNA contacted Mr Emmanuel Yawlui, the Hohoe Municipal Environmental Health Officer (MEHO), he said the Unit had put in measures to ensure that food vendor adhered to wearing of nose masks with offenders having their goods seized.

He said the Unit had challenges in enforcing the precautionary measures especially wearing of nose masks due to the absence of a task force to support in educating, monitoring, and supervising adherence of the measures.