COVID-19 Lockdown: Compliance to the social distance order at designated markets is poor in Sapele

….Enforcement of stay at home also poor on Day Two

By Shedrack Onitsha,

Resident and authorities of the Sapele local government area, has failed to adhere to the directive of the Delta State Government on social distance and order for residents to stay at home as parts of measures by the state government to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic from hitting the state.

Advocate team which went round the town to monitor the level of compliance on Day-two observed that while shops and other businesses remained closed, people were seen moving about on foot and in some cases in groups, in some of the major roads and streets.

Though there was low vehicular movement, Keke and Okada that carries people to designated temporary market places and in some cases to their homes and hospitals were seen on the major roads and street.

A visit to the temporal market at Okpe Grammar School and Okotie-Eboh showed that the market was too crowded, no regard is given to social distancing and no precautionary measure is being adopted. The traders neither have handwashing facilities nor hand sanitizers.

In suburbs like Sapele Waterside and Ojolu, business activities were going on unhindered.

At about 6 pm when our team went back to town, there was free movement, some of the closed shops at Okpe Road, Macpherson Road, Cemetery were opened for night business.

The order to suspend nightlife was not also obeyed as nightlife was at its pick at Olympia, Cemetery and Okpe Roads.

Filling stations obeyed the directives to open by 7.00 am and close at 12.00noon, though pockets of few opened at Ghana/Ogberikoko road.

The temporary markets also complied with the directive to close at 4.00 pm.