Residents in Accra resort to panic buying due to partial lockdown

A number of residents in Accra have responded to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s partial lockdown with panic buying of foodstuffs and other essential items to avoid any breaches of the order.

The President on Friday night announced the lockdown of Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi from 01:00 hours on Monday 30, 2020 in a bid to prevent and contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) visits some major markets like Agbogbloshie, Kaneshie, and Makola CMB found alarming congestion of people who were rushing to buy foodstuffs, while long queues formed at the Salvation and Dansoman Gas Filling Stations at Mamprobi and Dansoman respectively.

This was amazing as the President categorically exempted filling stations and food sellers from the partial lockdown.

The GNA in an interview with some of the buyers, indicated that they wanted to be law-abiding citizens by adhering to the President’s directives, hence the rush to stock their homes with foodstuffs before the ‘D-day’.

They said: “We are scared of the rapid spread of the COVID-19. We are also scared of the military and the police because we don’t know what they might do during the period of the lockdown.”