The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA) on Wednesday engaged Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) to disinfect its business space at Opera Square, Accra, also known as Cowlane.

The exercise, which started around 7:00 a.m., saw ZGL deploy one of its boom atomisers together with a disinfection crew with knapsack spraying machines to disinfect the area.

The crew disinfected the two lorry terminals at the Opera Square area, open spaces along with the Old AMA traffic light, Judicial Service, the Ghana Post Office, and the Rawlings Park areas, and the Cowlane Central Mosque. Also disinfected were about 400 shops and stores at Opera Square.

Speaking to a cross-section of journalists after the exercise, the 2nd Vice-Chair, GEDA, Hajia Munia Buari, lamented that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has not only slowed down their business but dealt a devastating blow to them.

"Honestly, business has been very slow because a lot more people now do not come to trade with us due to Covid-19," she bemoaned.

In addition, Hajia Buari said members of GEDA had also not been able to import electrical materials from China because of travel restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 disease.

That, coupled with the low patronage of their business, has dealt a severe blow to GEDA members, she stressed.

She explained that GEDA engaged Zoomlion to undertake the exercise to protect their members and also keep their customers who come there to trade with them safe from the pandemic.

“And even before the announcement of the partial lockdown in some parts of the country, GEDA had ensured that all its members religiously implemented the Covid-19 preventive protocols. All shops/stores under our umbrella association were to have Veronica buckets together with liquid soaps and alcohol-based sanitisers to be used by them and their customers. And, I must confess that our members have fully complied with these protocols,” she said.

The 2nd vice-chair of GEDA, however, indicated that effective Thursday, June 25, the association will enforce the wearing of nose masks.

“In fact, any of our members who fails to comply with this directive would not be allowed to trade in the area!” she cautioned.

She disclosed that the association had also put in a request for Covid-19 stimulus package for its members.

“And if this package is made available to us, we believe it will cushion members of GEDA from the harsh brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic on our business,” Hajia Buari expressed.

In a brief remark, the General Manager, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Greater Accra Region, Mr Ernest Morgan Acquah, explained that the essence of the exercise was to keep the Opera Square which is the trading hub of GEDA members safe and clean from the attack of the Covid-19 disease.

However, he contended that the disinfection was only one of the measures in the war against Covid-19.

Against this backdrop, he entreated members of GEDA to unfailingly observe the other Covid-19 safety protocols which included regular washing of hands under running water, practising social/physical distancing and using alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

The adherence of these protocols together with the disinfection will help protect GEDA members and its customers from the virus attack, he advised.