Coronavirus: All markets in the country to be closed for fumigation - Minister

"It is supposed to be a nationwide exercise. We are starting from Accra today and we are hoping that during the week, all the other regions will also have their turn," the Deputy Minister of Local Government, OB Amoah has said.

The disinfection exercise being done in markets in the Greater Accra Region will be extended to markets in other regions in the coming days.

The exercise, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has explained, is to help enhance the conditions of hygiene in markets in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

OB Amoah in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM said "Usually, if you have such massive disinfection, obviously, the outcome will mean that you have to do some cleanup and if they are not able to finish today, then it means it may affect tomorrow. But we just earmarked a day for this exercise so that tomorrow, they can go back to the market."

The government has deployed about 1,300 sprayers for today's fumigation of markets in the Greater Accra region in a bid to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Markets in the capital will not be open to business today, Monday, March 23, 2020, with 137 of them expected to be disinfected.

10 sprayers will be assigned to each market for the fumigation exercise to be undertaken.