COVID-19: Birim Central Disinfects Six Markets

A total number of six markets in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region have been disinfected by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the Waste Management Company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

Before the disinfection exercise, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central Mrs. Victoria Adu said as part of measures to control the spread of COVID-19 by government, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the Assembly has started intensive public education and sensitization programmes on precautionary measures including social distancing needed to be adhered by all citizens in order to curb the outbreak of the disease.

Mrs. Adu said the disinfection exercise seeks to kill coronavirus and other bacterial in the atmosphere and thanked the President of the Republic for initiating such an important programme.

According to her, the exercise is taken place at all the 33 Districts and Municipalities of the Eastern Region of which the Birim Central Municipality is no exception.

Mrs. Adu was impressed by the high level of compliance and support exhibited by traders in the disinfection exercise and commended various Institutions, Agencies and markets management for coming out in their number to support the exercise.

She further said once the Assembly's main source of revenue is generated from these six disinfected markets, it is working assiduously to also address all problems confronting traders at each market of these so as to improve the markets' activities of all traders.

She added that some officers from the various department, Institutions, and Agencies have also been tasked by Assembly to educate shops, salons, pharmacies banks and among other on COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs. Adu stated that the Assembly would continue to enforce its sanitation bye-law and personal hygiene etiquettes to assist the Municipality in fighting against the spread of the other diseases.

In an exclusive interview with ISD, Mr. Ebenezer Atsu, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer disclosed that 32 personnel were deployed to Oda from the Eastern Regional Capital to disinfect the 6 markets in the Municipality namely; the Oda Central market, Nkwantanum market, Aboabo Market, Oda Nkwanta Market, Gyadam Market, and Essam Market.

He explained that, due to the crucial nature of the exercise, owners of pharmacies, shops among others were not allowed to do business by Assembly.

Mr. Atsu noted with great concern that during the market days, Oda central market becomes overcrowded which sometimes endangers the lives of people and however called on government as a matter of urgency to have National Fumigation Policy formulation to enable Assemblies to disinfect markets found within their areas of jurisdictions.