The wearing and patronage of nose masks in the country’s capital, Accra, has dropped considerably, less than 24 hours after President Nana Akufo-Addo directed that nose masks-wearing is no longer mandatory.
The President on Sunday night in the nation’s 28th COVID-19 update among other new directives, indicated that the wearing of face masks was no longer compulsory.
The President, however, stressed the need for regular hand washing and hand sanitising and urged facility managers to make provision for the public to observe hygiene practices.
The Ghanaian Times in its checks at the Accra Central Business District, Kaneshie and Circle yesterday spotted only a handful of people in nose masks.
Dealers in masks were either idle, left their commodities under the mercy of the sun or were engaged in conversations with other traders.
Again, only a few commuters in these areas were seen in masks.
While most vendors said they had no option than to stop selling the masks, and look for something else to sell, a few said they would try to sell what they still had in stock.
Ama Asantewaa, a dealer at Kaneshie, noted that she had sold no mask as at 10:00a.m. yesterday although she got to the market at dawn.
She indicated that she would have been glad if she had a prior notice of the directive, because she only restocked last Saturday only for the President to address the nation and make that known the next day.
Akosua Akyaa at the Accra Central Business District, also a dealer who said she would cut down her selling price from GH₵1 to 0.50p, stressed that she would definitely make a loss, but had no option.
Admitting that businesses were prone to profits or loss, she said she switched her business to the sale of the masks during the peak of the pandemic, and that had been very lucrative, generating profits of about GH¢15 per box daily.
A vendor at the ‘OA’ station, Circle, Mrs Zinatu Seidu, also said no one had patronised her since she set up around 4:00a.m.
“Though the nose masks were not moving very fast, the address made by the President has made it worse, now I can’t go for more boxes when this is out of stock,” she added.
Another vendor at the STC station at Circle, Mrs Bernice Lotsa, said only a few people had bought nose masks from her after setting up for sales at dawn.
Meanwhile, she said she was hopeful that she could sell what she had left, as it was compulsory for people to wear masks at the station.
Some commuters at the Odawna Station said they were excited about the directive as it had cut down their costs of living, and made them more comfortable.
They applauded the government and urged it to continue to put in place measures that would make the country thrive and make Ghanaians comfortable.
Meanwhile, some government institutions including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly which were implementing a ‘no-mask no entry’ policy have relaxed its enforcement.
It was observed yesterday that scores of clients without nose masks were allowed to access the facilities.
