COVID-19: Ilorin traders now wear face masks
Traders in Ilorin have now embraced wearing face masks to protect themselves from contracting Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The traders wear locally made face masks to also prevent further spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
A market survey on the use of the preventive masks conducted by NAN at the New market (Oja Tuntun) in Ilorin on Tuesday confirmed the development.
READ ALSO: Lockdown: Man bags 3-day community service in Ekiti
Alhaja Monsura Lawal, a beef seller, said that they have been warned by the government to put on face mask while selling in the market, and anybody without the face mask will be arrested.
Lawal said that there were security operatives in the market ensuring that those without face mask did not gain entrance.
She said that many of the marketers are now obeying the use of face mask, for them to have access to the market and to sell their goods.
“There are many illiterates in the market using the face mask just to enter the market without knowing the major reason for the usage of face mask.
“Some of them drag the face mask down to their jaw, while others remove one side of the rubber band, leaving the face mask half worn,” she said.
Mr Timothy Ugochukwu, a seller of clothing materials, said that most of the people in the market wore face mask to gain entrance, but refused to wear it appropriately.
Ugochukwu said that government should try and sensitise the marketers on the importance of wearing face mask and other preventive measures to be taken against the pandemic.
“The market is a busy place where hundreds of people meet daily, so there is need for government to arrange all the markets in the state, in such a way that people can avoid close contact.
“There are lots of things to be done in the market in order to ensure that the people are safe while in the market, not only wearing of face mask,” he said.
On her part, Madam Iya Basira said that government was yet to distribute face mask in the market, as promised.
“They said that they will give us face mask and sanitiser to prevent this coronavirus, but we have not seen any of such things.
“Many of us had to buy the face mask with our money, but the sanitiser is expensive, so we cannot afford to buy with the little gain we are making from our business,” she said.
The Kwara Government had relaxed the total lockdown and announced 6 a.m to 6 p.m curvew in efforts to contain the disease.
