The Amuwo Odofin Local Government (AOLG) Area of Lagos State has reopened four markets it closed three days ago following concerns of non-compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Mr Olusegun Idris, the Chairman, AOLG Committee on COVID-19, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that the decision to reopen the markets came after a meeting between the council officials and leaders of the markets.
According to Idris, who is also the Vice Chairman of AOLG, the market leaders signed an undertaking to comply with all safety protocols as regards COVID-19.
“They also agreed to set up a task force to ensure that things would be done properly,” he said.
Mrs Osinatu Adebayo, the OpeOluwa Market Leader, at Agboju, told NAN that the agreement to reopen the markets followed a commitment made by the traders that they would abide by all the precautions.
Adebayo, who is also the overall leader of foodstuffs markets within Amuwo Odofin, said that the leaders also agreed that traders would not sell to customers not wearing face masks.
She said that there had been a challenge of lack of full compliance with the use of face masks by traders who could not wear them for long due to medical reasons.
Also, the 23 Road Market Leader, Mrs Stella Cookie, said that AOLG mainly indicated the traders in the area of compliance with the use of face masks.
“Apart from the banners we put up, water and soap for washing hands, all the traders now have hand sanitisers and wear face masks.
“Now we have people who enforce the rules, even from the gates. We tell customers to go if they do not have face masks,” she said.
NAN reports that the council, on July 20, shut four markets as a safety measure to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in the area.
