By Damilola Adeyemo
ABUJA – The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has urged market authorities to take responsibility for ensuring that buyers and traders comply with all COVID19 protocols to curb the spread of the virus.
PTF National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammed, said “We want economic activities to continue but this has to be in a regulated fashion where there won’t be increased risk for people transacting their businesses.
“We would want to see a market where before you enter the market, there is somebody stationed there to measure your body temperature. And if your temperature is above 38 degrees, you will be turned back and advised to seek assistance or linked directly to where you will have a test done. If your temperature is negative, then, they will also ensure that you have a face mask which is actually the first step – if you don’t have a face mask, you won’t be allowed to come near the gate of the market.
“We also envision to see where the market authorities themselves become responsible and ensure that all these measures are put in place and people that are not complying are quickly refuted or taken out of the market place.
“We also want to see the law enforcement agencies working side by side with the necessary stakeholders –the association of the market regulators to ensure that these protocols are complied with. Not only the markets but all public places, the supermarkets, parks, event centers and so on and so forth.”
According to PUNCH, the disregard for Covid protocols at the market places have been concerning in the last eleven months since Nigeria recorded its index case of the virus in February 2020.
Health experts have also attributed the spread of the virus in the country to the non-compliance of the preventive measures by market users.
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