The Agricultural Urban Wholesale Market at Vengeri located on the outskirts of the city has been closed due to the spread of COVID-19. Several persons at the market, including traders and headload workers, had tested positive for the virus on Sunday.
Following the closure of the Palayam market in Kozhikode, merchants had shifted their activities to the Vengeri market. Several shopkeepers had then warned that the Vengeri market too would have to be closed soon if the health authorities failed to take precautionary measures. Traders reportedly paid no heed to authorities asking them to wear masks and maintain physical distancing.
However, the abrupt closure of the Vengeri market left many farmers from Malappuram and the rural areas of Kozhikode who arrived for the bi-weekly auction in the lurch. They had to return with tonnes of unsold vegetables that they had brought from their farms.
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Meanwhile, the district administration gave approval for the partial reopening of the Palayam market from Wednesday onwards. Only traders and headload workers who had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 will be allowed to enter the market. Separate identity cards will be given to them by the Kozhikode Corporation. While stalls will be allowed to function till 11 a.m., pushcart vendors will be allowed entry after 11 a.m.
Only four out of the eight entry gates will be opened to the public. All those entering the market will be subjected to thermal checks. A task force will ensure that the COVID-19 protocol is strictly maintained at the market.