Businesses open after lockdown
Business activities have come alive barely a few hours after the lifting of the restrictions on movement imposed on the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Areas as well as the Awutu Senya East Municipality.
In these affected areas and beyond, the once deserted streets, lorry stations, market centres, banks and shops bounced back as many people, mainly traders and market folk, came out in their numbers to do business in response to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s announcement last Sunday that the restriction would be over effective 1:00 a.m. on Monday, April 20.
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In quick response to the announcement, the streets were cleared off the security presence that had been well felt since the restriction was imposed. with the various checkpoints, all cleared, and as early as 5:00 a.m, people had begun setting off, keen to continue from where they left off before the restriction was imposed on March 28.
From Tema through Accra to Kasoa and Kumasi, the story was no different as traders in all kinds of goods and market women showed up for business.
The Daily Graphic team observed that though many people were observing the precautionary protocols, many others did not have the nose masks on as advised by health experts and directed by President Akufo-Addo in his seventh national address on the COVID-19 interventions government was adopting to fight the pandemic.
In lifting the restriction, the President said Ghana had been able to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons among other factors.
Business as usual in Accra
Nana Konadu Agyeman and Joshua Bediako Koomson report that as early as they could, traders, street hawkers and many others whose operations came to a halt as a result of the partial lockdown, thronged major streets and markets in Accra to recoup their losses.
The Daily Graphic on a tour to a number of commercial areas in Accra observed that commercial vehicles were also in full operation with vehicular traffic already building up in some areas.
Pavements around most markets were also being occupied by some traders and other street beggars.
At the various market centres visited, although most of the traders had their masks on, the majority of them had ignored the social distancing directive.
At the Accra Central Market, though the usual hustle and bustle was on the low, several traders had taken over the streets while the basic safety precautionary measures were disregarded by the majority of them.
A trader, Madam Salomey, said she was aware of the risk of not having the nose mask on but she had not put one on because “I could hardly breathe when I put the nose mask on. I don’t want to suffocate so I only put it on when I get a customer.”
The street hawkers had also returned, trying to ply their trade but it was mainly restricted to water and other refreshing beverages.
Inter-city transport
In some major commercial vehicles such as the VIP buses, operators have made it mandatory for passengers to have a nose mask before they were allowed to enter.
In an interview with the General Manager for VIP which transports travellers to several regions, Mr Ernest Frimpong Manso said the company had adopted a strategy to ensure the social distancing directive was observed.
"Bearing in mind what the President said last Sunday, we have agreed on a common position that was to be adopted. We have two sitting configurations which is the 30 and the 50 seater buses. We have resolved to operate with the 30 sitting configuration on the basis that the breadth of the bus is three metres and if we have three persons sitting in one row then there will be one metre spacing between the passengers and this is within the parameters of protecting the public against the spread,” he explained.
Kasoa
From Kasoa, Emmanuel Bonney reports that as early as 5:30 a.m., traders had started taking over their stalls with workers trooping to the various bus terminals, defying the social distancing protocols to board vehicles to Accra and other parts of the country.
Terminal
The main bus terminal, which was otherwise quiet during the lockdown, soon became busy with activities as people trooped to the place to board vehicles and trade.
All the military vehicles, including tanks, were moved from the roads and parked under the Kasoa overpass. Soldiers were seen sitting under the overpass, waiting for the next instruction to move.
At about 10 a.m. when the Daily Graphic was leaving the town, more traders had returned to the pavements displaying their wares.
Traders/residents
In separate interviews with the traders and residents, they said the announcement by the President was a pleasant surprise as they least expected it.
“This came to us as a surprise but we welcome it because it has not been easy for the past three weeks,” a trader, Yaw Sarkodie, said.
A used clothes dealer, Agnes Atta, who commended the President for lifting of the lockdown, said: “It had been tough for me and my husband. We spent all the little money we had on us and were looking for this (lifting) opportunity”.
A trader who sells socks, Madam Ama Tetteh, said the lockdown had opened her eyes to the seriousness of the coronavirus disease and would not take chances at all.
Wearing a nose mask, she said she was adhering strictly to the protocols and would also advise her customers to do so when they came around.
Another resident, Narkie Thompson, wondered why the lifting of the lockdown when the COVID-19 cases had gone up.
“We have to be very careful and stick to the protocols,” she said.
Tema Port
Activities at the Tema Port have seen a significant rise with importers and agents undertaking clearance activities at the various terminals at the Tema Port, reports Della Russel Ocloo.
At the Golden Jubilee Terminal (GJT) where devanning (unstuffing) of containers is done to process them for clearance, some port workers were seen assisting freight forwarders by lifting the consignments being cleared from the holding containers to the open space to allow for customs examination to ensure the items conform to what was declared on the import declarations.
Traders in food, water and other items were also not left out as they displayed their wares at various locations demarcated for such activities within the port enclave.
Banks located within the area which were all shut down in line with the lockdown restrictions also opened up for business when the Daily Graphic toured the port at about 8:30 a.m.
Agents
Some freight forwarders who spoke to the Daily Graphic lauded the lifting of the restrictions, which they said was a huge relief.
According to Mr Elliot Nana Ampong, although the port worked during the restriction period, activities were not as efficient as they should have been since most of the banks which are designated import revenue receivers shut down their branches, leaving a skeletal staff at single branches.
The branches, he said, also had limited working hours which went to constrain import duty payment, thereby leading to importers incurring additional trading costs.
“The lifting of the restrictions has its risks of losing control over the coronavirus pandemic, I believe this new arrangement will facilitate speedy clearance processes which would also go to ensure that there are no commodity shortages in the country,” Mr Ampong said.
Tema
Tema was busy with an array of activities as vehicles and people moved freely following the withdrawal of the police and military patrols on the various routes.
From the Tema Beach towards the Tema Port to the VALCO Roundabout leading to the Tema Motorway roundabout, the various barriers at these stretches had disappeared.
Wood workers, traders and transporters at the Ashaiman Timber Market also went about their normal business when the Daily Graphic team toured the various areas to access the situation.
There were spots of traffic build-up along the Ashaiman Timber Market roundabout leading to the Akosombo road as residents from the area were seen moving to town in droves at the time of the visit.
The Central Business District of Kumasi, known for its buzzing commercial activities, lost its steam following the imposition of the restriction on movement.
However, the lifting of the restriction has brought back the sparks into business in the city as most of the stores have opened their doors to the public and the hitherto empty bus terminals are back in business, reports Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor.
Bus terminals
A tour of the Asafo Neoplan Station which runs mostly Accra, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Koforidua routes, have started working.
The VIP bus terminal which also stopped operations during the lockdown period also resumed its services. The usual long queues experienced at the terminal were however missing.
Commercial cars
The commercial cars, especially those running intra-city routes, were keeping to the social distancing protocols and were picking the number of the passengers as was advised by the President.
The urban buses were picking two passengers per seat instead of three and the 207 buses, three per seat instead of the usual four while taxis were taking three passengers instead of four.