By: Akpabli Daniel Yao/Akatsi/VR

Residents of Akatsi Tatorme in the Akatsi South District of the Volta Region are yet to recover from a corona virus stigma as local media houses blew a confirmed Covid-19 alarm from the suburb about three weeks ago.

The alleged recorded case which the radio station broadcasted, had it that, one Covid-19 case has been confirmed in the Tatorme causing many youth in the town rushing to the area in their numbers to see the victim as it was said that, an ambulance was coming to convey the victim to the University of Health and Allied Sciences  (UHAS) for treatment.

Same information has also been widely circulated in the social media causing a lot more inconveniences to the people in the area.

The stigma which has left an irreparable damage according to the residents in the area is affecting them emotionally, psychologically and economically as they called on authorities to come and help address the challenge to enable them have the breathing space to carry out their daily activities in the District.

Speaking to the Finder, some residence who are market women said, they are unable to make sales when they go to the market after the confirmed positive information went viral as customers are avoiding them for the fear of being affected with the virus.

 “one of my customers from whom I buy maize for retailing finally agreed to sale to me but gave me a condition; which is to go home and send her the money through Mobile Money as she said I’m coming from a Covid-19 confirmed area” she lamented.

Others said, the Commercial Motor riders sometime refused to carry residents and anyone who wanted to be taken to Tatorme.

“those who are willing to offer the service end up charging exorbitant fees of times two what they used to take initially. Instead of GHC1.50, they take GHC3.00 and even more” 

Speaking to the Authorities in the Akatsi South Market, Mr. Ernest Yao Ahiawodzi, Deputy Revenue Inspector confirmed the rumor of a Covid-19 case being recorded and circulated in the media about Akatsi South District and specifically Tatorme.

He stated that even though the case has been widely broadcasted by the radio stations, causing fear and panic in Akatsi and more particularly in the market, no complaint of stigmatization in the market has been officially report to their outfit.

He noted that, some market folks have stopped coming to the market due the development making market authorities to quickly put up some arrangement to manage the situation.

“For the fact that the Virus is invisible, the fear of being affected is very high as no one knows who a carrier, forcing us to instill the necessary precautionary protocols to bring sanity in the market”. He explained.

He further warned that, anyone who demonstrates such behavior of stigmatizing on another in the market will not be spared as he called on people in the District to desist from such and many forms of discrimination but rather join force to combat the Virus.

Meanwhile, no other positive case has been confirmed in the area and the District as a whole, as all contact traced so far on the said positive victim also proved negative of the virus.