Anambra State Government, has announced the relocation of all food markets in the 21 local government areas to designated centres to stop the spread of COVID-19.

This, it said, is in order to enhance social distancing and hygiene during the lockdown period

The Police Public Relation’s Officer, Mohammed Haruna, gave this directive in a statement on Tuesday.

He said the relocation of all food markets must take effect from Tuesday as all food markets have been shut down completely till further notice.

The statement reads: “Sellers of Food items and other essential consumables are required to move their commodities to the freshly designated locations.

“The essence of the new locations is to restrict commercial activities to food items and other approved essentials and to ensure that buying and selling hold within a well spaced environment that permits observance of the social distancing protocol.

“The markets in every community will operate between 8am and 3pm daily.

“Market leaders and affected vendors have been fully notified while Transition Commitee Chairmen, Presidents General PG of Communities will be on ground to manage the new facilities.”

But traders, who spoke with newsmen, faulted the workability of the new arrangement,since the State was in a lock down

Mrs. Grace Grace Okafor questioned how some of them would transport their goods to the designated centres without vehicles.

But, she was reminded that tricycle operators were in full swing ,she replied, ” the arrangement is a poor one and punishment to us because of Coronavirus “