By Bakary Touray
Some business owners in the Kanifing Municipality have decried the scaling down of businesses as non-essential food and other outlets have been ordered to temporarily close, as the country’s crusade to contain the spread of COVID-19, continues to intensify.
The declaration for some business establishments to halt operations for now, came from the President of the Republic, Mr. Adama Barrow, as per his constitutional powers, during a televised broadcast updating the nation on the status of COVID-19 in The Gambia.
The declaration, as could be noticed, is gradually gaining momentum, as people in the business and transport sectors, and even faith groups, are largely complying with it.
Mansa Banko Online tries to find out how people in affected sectors are coping with the present situation foisted upon the nation by the COVID outbreak.
Mr. Mbaye Ndiaye, a middle-aged mobile seller, told this reporter that although the move is to contain the spread of COVID-19, and therefore prevent themselves and families against the disease, but it has also affected their business.
Ndiaye said, “Since the declaration, we have closed down our shop. This has, so far, rendered us jobless while our business is also declining as we are not making sales from our goods”.
Ms.Ya-Ndaye Jobe, another dealer in textile and clothing decried, “the move is to our own good, as health comes first before money. It will be a difficult moment to deal with, because our businesses have been closed, but I appeal to the citizens to try and comply with the decision”.
Another shopkeeper, Mr. Ebou Jobe, stressed that the decision has not affected his business as he sells essential food commodities such as bread and sugar. He appealed to the citizenry to comply with the measures to combat the disease.
The unaffected businessman argued:“The disease continues to affect developed countries. So it is obvious that developing countries must strictly adhere to the measures to avert the replica of what is happening in developed nations. This is because developing countries don’t have the economic strength to invest in the treatment of the disease; thus, we have to prevent ourselves against the disease to the best of our abilities”.
He went on to posit that people should observe the preventive measures and adhere to the advises of the health authorities, so that the disease is contained, warning that it could potentially affect the Gambian economy, thereby having adverse impacts on its development drive.
Mr. Alieu Badgie, a dealer in building materials, called on the Gambian authorities to help them with adequate protective gears, noting they (business people there) have contributed to provide two hand washing stations, “which is not sufficient”.
He argued that public places such as markets should be adequately provided hand washing facilities because these are busy places where people from all walks of life meet for different errands.
Badgie cautioned that the disease could easily spread once an infected person comes there and have contacts with those who don’t have the virus.
Badgie again: “In such places, preventive measures and gears should be provided in abundance with regular monitoring to ensure that anyone who comes to such places observes the measures.”
