Lae Market maintained its’ temporary operation today with most benches empty inside the market, due to the extension of the SOE orders, restricting the transportation of food crops from the Highlands down to Lae.
Morobe’s COVID -19 response committee has allowed for the Lae Market to reopen temporarily last week Tuesday, following the end of the 14-day lockdown.
The COVID-19 preventive measures are also considered inside the market.
Officers of Lae’s Market are positioned at the entrance gate, reminding vendors and customers to wash their hands before doing their business inside the market.
Anton Alois a market officer says “we have spoken to all market users and vendors to ensure their hands are washed before entering”
Sinks are set up inside all corners of the market.
A vendor who has been selling at Lae’s Market for almost ten-years said the extra sinks provided for washing hands would also help the vendors maintain cleanliness.
“Before we only had a single wash basin, I am happy there are more” says vendor Mary Kasa.
Lae Market is one of the biggest Market in PNG and serves people from the nine districts of Morobe, Oro and the Highlands Provinces.
It was closed following the 14-day-lockdown, after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the country.
The market was allowed to reopened temporarily last week Tuesday by the Morobe’s COVID-19 Response Committee, however, it will be closed again following advise from the Morobe Provincial Health Authority.
Another Maryanne Warain, expressed her gratitude “Morobe has a good supply of food, but within the lockdown period it was very difficult”
Since the market was reopened last week, the benches where food crops, especially from the highlands provinces are sold on are still empty.
One such commodity is pineapple from Western Highlands. This section of the market where the pineapples are sold is still empty due to the SOE orders in place restricting interprovincial travels.
This has affected most of the producers and vendors.
By Julie Badui Owa, EMTV News, Lae
