From Sammy Asare, Ahafo Goaso.
The Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) with Paramount Chiefs and the Municipal District Chief Executives (MDCEs) have taken some giant decision for the people of the region to respect the social distancing protocol to help fight against the COVID-19 novel.
The managers of the region took the decisions pegged around three(3) human activities at an emergency meeting at the office of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Goaso, the capital of the region after they have critically assess how residents are not complying with the social distancing protocol which is key in combating the deadly virus (coronovirus).
The Regional Minister who is the Chairman of REGSEC, Honourable(Hon) Evans Opoku Bobie, in media briefing after the closed door meeting revealed that henceforth all weekly market centres, the activities of tricycle business (pragyia) and tricycle (aboboyaa) carrying people are banned due to the people behind the said activities flouting the social distancing protocol.
On the closure of all weekly market centres in the region, Hon. Bobie explained that per the number of people trooping to weekly market centres at all the six(6) districts namely Asunafo North, Asunafo South, Asutifi North, Asutifi South, Tano North and Tano South is mind blowing and recipe of chaos amid COVID-19 outbreak.
“They have been educated to maintain social distance but they are adamant to the protocol so it’s necessary to close it”. The Minister said.
He clarify that people can visit the daily market centres for their foodstuffs and other items of need because the daily market centres are in operation.
According to the Regional Minister, the activities of pragyia is also halt because riders in the region are not adhering to the social distancing measure. He narrated that a word of caution has been directed to the riders to limit the number from three(3) to two(2) yet they are found of doing contrary which is dangerous at this time.
He said, for the next two(2) weeks all tricycles (pragyia) must be off the roads in Ahafo Region. “They’re not to operate at all for the next 14 days” he stated.
The Minister added, the riders of aboboyaa must henceforth desist from carrying people along goods in their activities. He expressed that aboboyaa is meant for the carrying of goods only but per their checks the habit of adding people to goods is on a rise at all districts and it is time the authorities put an end to it.
According to him, it is also agreed that motorcycles must not have any other person aside the rider to also respect the social distancing protocol.
Hon. Evans Opoku Bobie disclosed, the security services in the region will intensify their activities to ensure that the people in question adhere to the directives of REGSEC, Paramont Chiefs and MDCEs to fight the COVID-19 in the region. He further said a number of military men will also be on grounds to give a helping hand to the police service to make to the two(2) weeks exercise fruitful.
He narrated that committees are formed at district levels to assess the exercise and submit reports to REGSEC for deliberations. He said, when the duration of the ban is due the stakeholders will meet and assess the entire exercise and know the next step to take.
On whether the region has recorded a case on COVID-19, the Regional Minister who is also the Member of Parliament(MP) for Asunafo North Constituency mentioned that eleven(11) suspected cases were at hand for assessment but for now nine(9) out of the number have tested negative. The region is patiently waiting for the results of the remaining three(3).
He advised residents to keep on adhering to all the protocols to fight the virus in the region which is part of the remaining five(5) regions with no case of COVID-19 in the country. He said measures to curb it would be intensified in the region to keep the people safe.
