The Burkinabe authorities have decided to ease some restrictions introduced as part of the fight against the Covid-19, by reducing the duration of a curfew and reopening Ouagadougou’s main market on Monday.
Closed since March 26, 2020 to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the largest Burkinabe capital’s “Rood Wooko” market reopened for business on Monday morning (April 20, 2020) under the supervision of political, municipal and business authorities.
It is the first market in the central region (on which Ouagadougou depends) to reopen, after the closure (about a month ago) of around 30 markets in the nation’s capital.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Harouna Kabore explained that the reopening of Rood Wooko constitutes a pilot phase.
“If the protective measures are respected and the results satisfactory, the other markets will follow suit” he said.
The mayor of Ouagadougou, Armand Pierre Beouinde, invited traders to comply with and ensure respect for the protective measures decided by the Ministry of Health.
The reopening of the market comes as a relief for traders who were complaining about the closure, which is also as a result of talks between different actors (Ministry of Health, traders, Ministry of Commerce, etc.).
The other measure concerns the duration of the curfew introduced on March 21 from 7 p.m. (local time and GMT) to 5 a.m., now going from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., starting on Monday, April 20.
The decree signed by President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, specifies that “the reorganization of the schedules does not concern the curfew introduced within the framework of the fight against terrorism in the areas under a state of emergency.”
Burkina Faso, which registered its first two positive cases of Covid-19 on March 9, 2020, has, as of April 19, 2020, a total of 576 confirmed cases, including 224 women and 352 men.
On the same date, the country recorded a total of 338 recoveries and 36 deaths from the virus.
ALK/te/fss/as/APA