The FCT Administration has warned traders and marketers at Jabi Mall to comply with COVID-19 guidelines or have their business premises shut down to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
Mr Ikharo Attah, Head, Media and Public Enlightenment of the FCTA COVID-19 Task Force, issued the warning while monitoring compliance in some shopping malls and business premises across the city on Tuesday.
Attah stated that the FCTA would not hesitate to shut down shopping malls, Maitama farmers’ market and business premises in the city that failed to comply with the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.
“From what we observed, there is high compliance by costumers and visitors to these malls and business premises. However, sadly, same cannot be said of the workers and operators of shops and other businesses in the malls.
“A situation in which owners of shops and their workers believed that the guidelines and health protocols are for costumers and visitors is highly unacceptable. The health protocols are for all to observe,” he said.
He urged traders to ensure strict compliance with simple COVID-19 health protocols which include wearing of facemasks, provision of points for washing of hands and maintaining of physical distancing.
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Attah frowned at the situation where some shopping malls do not even have crowd control policies, leading to contravention of the physical distancing guideline.
He revealed that at the Maitama Farmers’ market, the taskforce observed strong disregard for the protocols as most people were not wearing facemasks and there was only one washing point at the market.
He disclosed that three persons were arrested at the market, adding that the taskforce would close farmer market when next it visits if the violations persisted.
Other places visited were the Jabi Lake Mall, Novera Shoprite Mall along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road and some business premises at Wuse and Maitama Districts.
