Zoomlion extends disinfection exercise to public toilets

Zoomlion Ghana limited, a waste management company, has extended the second phase of the nationwide disinfection exercise to cover public toilets in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region.

The first phase of the exercise, which was successfully done in March this year, concentrated on markets, lorry stations and abattoir across the Region.

Mr John Sackey, the Upper East Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in an interview with journalists during the disinfection exercise in Bolgatanga, said the exercise was part of measures initiated by government to stem the spread of COVID-19.

He said the exercise was a partnership between his outfit and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, “In the main activity, we are going to disinfect markets, public toilets, lorry stations and other places where people gather, and the likelihood of the virus being harboured there.”

Mr Sackey said the disinfection which would be done across all the 15 Municipalities and Districts of the Region, was also targeted at other disease causing organisms such as mice, cockroaches and rats among others in the designated public places.

He said the exercise would be proceeded by clean-up exercises at all the disinfected areas to ensure a clean environment for residents in the Region.

Mr Joseph Atuura Amiyuure, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), noted that the second phase of the exercise was important, saying considering the time frame from when the first phase of the exercise was done, micro-organisms might have invaded the markets again and needed to be disinfected.

He said in order not to disrupt market activities in the main markets in the Municipality, the exercise commenced at dawn and was concluded by 0700hours.

Mr Amiyuure said the disinfection would be extended to satellite markets in various communities such as Soe, Zaare, Sumbrungu, Sherigu among other markets including some places of public gatherings.

Explaining why the exercise was done on a market day in Bolgatanga, the MCE said it was a national programme drawn with days assigned to Regions, “So it happened that ours has fallen on a market day and there is no way we can disrupt the national exercise.”

“If we had missed it, it means we wouldn’t get the spreading done, so to circumvent it, we felt that we had to spray early enough so that by the time the market women will be in the market, it will be safe,” Mr Amiyuure said.

Apart from the market disinfection exercises across the country, since the outbreak of COVID-19, Zoomlion has undertaken several exercises including disinfection of Senior High Schools and Tertiary Institutions among others to check the spread of the virus.