With the upsurge of COVID-19 cases in the country, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly is taking steps to prevent further spread of the virus within the metropolis.

City authorities intend reintroducing the shift system in the market places to enable traders to observe social distancing and other safety protocols.

The Central Business District of Kumasi is choked with vehicular and human traffic as some traders take over pavements and portion of the streets to ply their activities.

The various markets within the CBD are not left out from human congestion.

People are unable to move freely without touching each other.

The situation makes adherence to the physical distancing protocol almost impossible for the traders and passersby.

Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Osei Assibey Antwi hinted of plans to reintroduce the shift system in the congested markets.

“The rotation is one of the strategies that is going to help us because looking at the numbers in central market, if we are to allow to trader as they are doing now then it will become impossible for us to free the area but looking at the trend of events the rotational system will come up, but it’s going to be after our meeting with the leadership”, he said.

Traders who have also taken pavements and shoulders of the road to ply their activities have also been asked to relocate to other satellite markets before January 30 or face forced eviction.

The Ashanti Region has seen an increase in its active COVID-19 cases from 436 on Friday, January 22 to 515 on Monday, January 25.

With the alarming situation, health authorities are advising the public to strictly adhere to all the safety protocols.