Coronavirus: Suame Market closed down for failing to observe social distancing

The Suame Municipal Assembly has closed down the Suame Market in the Ashanti Region.

The market was closed down on Wednesday, 22 April 2020 after traders refused to comply with social distancing protocol as part of measures to prevent further spread of the deadly COVID-19.

Ghana has so far recorded 1154 COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths and 120 recoveries.

Other markets across the country have been closed down in recent times over failure of traders to observe social distancing protocol as well.

Meanwhile, some traders at the Suame market appealed to government to step in to prevent further chaos and save their business.

Speaking to Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah, a trader said: “I sell okro, where we used to sell, because of the directive by President Akufo-Addo on social distancing we divided ourselves into three groups so that we’ll come every four days. Now Mr Bobie has come to sack us, he made soldiers destroy all our tables and took us down there. 17 of us sitting there. As for today he says he won’t allow us to trade, Sunday he didn’t let us trade, Monday we didn’t sell, today too he says he won’t let us sell. All our foodstuffs are there, he brought KMA people to beat us up. We too, we know that the President has lifted the lockdown to enable us continue with our trading. This is how we take care of our families, so we are appealing to government, they brought them to protect us but now, they are rather giving us sickness.”

Another trader also stated that: “We were practicing social distancing up there but now the enforcers have brought all of us together so the social distancing is not working. The whole top is empty. So we are appealing to government to come to our aid to ensure that the directive works to enable continue trading. They are always beating us.”