DCE reaffirms efforts to stop coronavirus outbreak in Asuogyaman

The Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region will not take chances in its efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic to the district, District Chief Executive for the area has affirmed.

Samuel Kwame Agyekum answering questions on the preparedness of the district to avert a spillover of the outbreak from ‘infected’ neighboring Lower Manya Krobo into Asuogyaman was confident that the efforts of the various stakeholders including the District Assembly and the Ghana Health Service to stop a potential outbreak in the district would avert any outbreak.

“We hope that we don’t even get any case in the district but since we have got one just at our doorstep, we should not and we cannot take chances,” said the DCE. “So we are making sure that we put everything into place.”

Mr. Agyekum was speaking during a fumigation exercise of several areas including local markets, lorry stations and health facilities within the district as part of plans outlined to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

The exercise, held across all areas within the Asuogyaman district on Saturday, April 4, 2020 saw all business activities including market activities grounded to a halt to pave way for the fumigation.

The exercise was part of a national fumigation exercise being carried out in the Eastern region by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which is in line with the President’s directives on measures outlined to contain and prevent the spread of Covid 19 in the country.

The DCE said the assembly had prior to the discovery of the virus in the eastern region instituted a number of measures including education to prevent a potential outbreak, adding that the education had gone down well with the people.

He said a number of veronica buckets had been positioned at vantage points in the district with most transport operators complying with the required spacing in their vehicles.

The major challenge confronting the campaign however, the assembly chief observed is the absence of the required social distancing in the markets.

Efforts are however underway to ensure that the traders appreciate the need to practice the required social distancing as they ply their trade.

The markets after undergoing the exercise, was reopened to business on Sunday and the Assembly Chief was hopeful that the disinfection would also ensure a hygienic environment for traders, apart from containing and preventing the spread of the disease in the metropolis.

The MCE called on members of the public to practice personal hygiene and frequently wash their hands under running water and use hand sanitizers frequently and minimise human contacts to prevent the disease from spreading.

Asuogyaman District Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer, Mrs. Doris Acquah who monitored proceedings, expressed satisfaction at the progress made with the exercise and commended the market women for complying with the directives for uninterrupted exercise.

The exercise was zoned into six areas with a team carrying out the exercise in each zone including Akrade, Atimpoku, Mangoase, Adjena-Djekiti, Anum Boso and Asikuma.

Personnel from NADMO, the Ghana Health Service, the security agencies, Zoomlion and some staff of the Asuogyaman District Assembly partook in the exercise.