The Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Henrietta Aboagye has asserted that traders at the Central market's failure to observe the social distancing directive to help curb the novel coronavirus is the main reason for the closure of the market.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Security Council (METSEC) chaired by the KMA Mayor, Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi on Monday, April 6, 2020, closed down the Central Market to enable the Central Market leadership to reorganize their members into groups to trade in turns to reduce congestion.

According to the PRO of KMA, the marketers observe the other safety measures including the washing of hands and applying alcohol based sanitizers when necessary yet they adamant on the social distance directive which also plays a key role in such a time like this.

“We have spoken to them on several occasions yet they have failed to comply by the rules hence METSEC’s decision to meet the various bodies and come to an agreement to shut down all the activities to enable them pay heed to the measures," she said.

"There has been the need after the meeting with the stakeholders that the traders will be permitted to come in groups. This has called for the provision of identification cards in a form of colors -red, yellow and green. These colors will help the Assembly group them as to when holders will be able to come and trade per the schedule prepared.

According to Henrietta Aboagye at a press conference in Kumasi on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at the KMA conference hall, METSEC together with the market leadership have been apportioned the Central Market traders into three groups and will be identified with color cards.

She spoke that the colors will help to roster when each of the groups will be reporting to the market for trade.

“Per the data recorded, a number of 5,825 traders have been logged. We divided the numbers by the three colors; the Reds had a total of 1942, Yellow -1941 and the green were 1941. This we believe will help to observe the social distancing” she said.

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“The cards need to be ready as soon as possible to guide our agenda. Until the card is ready, the market will not be opened. We also do not want it to be in a situation where traders will suffer loss from their perishable products so the earlier, the better,” she added.

On what penalty has been set against people wo would contravene the rules, the PRO said, “the group that will flout on the directions will have their activities shut down in order not to affect the others.”

The Operation Manager of Central Market, Kejetia Association, Kwabena Fosu pleaded to traders to comply by the health measures to restrain the COVID-19 and get Ghana’s economy back on its feet. He promised that traders will observe the instructions of the KMA to maintain peace and sanity.

The Central Market traders accepted their fault for failing to observe the social distance instruction and promised to go by the roster prepared by the Assembly.

“We will do whatever it takes to observe the social distancing to help control the virus from spreading. We are grateful to our leaders for the measures put in place for our own safety. Indeed, God richly bless the president. We will do whatever it takes to help him overcome this moment,” one said.

“Some of us are not taking the situation serious because we don’t see the virus with our naked eye but the truth be told, majority of us are aware of how threatening our lives are. We must do whatever it takes to observe the safe distancing measure to help us all, “another added.