Covid-19: Dodowa Market To Be Closed Over Social Distancing Issue

Dodowa market in the Shai-Osudoku District of Accra would be closed for a period of one week due to overcrowding at the market in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

This will take effect from Monday, April 20 to Saturday, April 27, 2020.

Activities will, however, resume on Monday, April 28, 2020.

A statement from the Shai-Osudoku District Joint Committee noted that this decision was taken because “the measures instituted to maintain social distancing among other protocols to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the Dodowa market are not yielding the intended results.”

Giving more clarification, the statement continued: “Even though the market women are adhering to the shift system announced in our previous measures issued to decongest the market, it has been observed that the closure of markets in the La Nkwantanang and other municipalities has led to heavy and uncontrollable patronage of the Dodowa market raising serious concerns and therefore defeating the intended purpose of the shift system.”

The closure of the market is to “allow time for the Joint Committee and the market stakeholders to rethink and implement alternative strategies to serve the best interest of the general public during this period of coronavirus.”

The Joint Committee concluded by apologising to the public for any inconvenience caused.

Several markets in the country have been shut down because traders defied the social distancing directive in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Among the many closed down in the Greater Accra Region are the Ashaiman Central, Mandela, and CMB markets.

Shops at Adum market in the Ashanti Region have also been closed to ensure compliance with lockdown directives and prevent overcrowding due to panic buying.

The Ketu South Municipal Assembly in the Volta Region has also announced the temporary closure of all markets in the municipality for the same reason.

Previous warning

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama had earlier warned of an imminent closure of markets if vendors fail to comply with social distancing directives.

According to her, the need to enforce all relevant protocols to contain the spread of COVID-19 will be paramount in all dealings with the market vendors in the wake of the pandemic.

---citinewsroom