The Coronavirus has not only posed a threat to the lives of many people in Cameroon, it also has a negative impact on the economy of Cameroon. In the fight against COVID-19, the government through the Prime Minister put in place some measures to help limit the spread of the virus.

One of the measures was to avoid gatherings of more than 50 people.This has led to the closure of many companies. As a result, many workers have either been put on temporal leave or permanently relieved off duties until further notice. This situation has put these workers in tough situations, especially those who are now unemployed. They find it difficult to provide basic needs for their families as their job was their only source of livelihood. This is the case of a Chinese company (name withheld) in Ombe which has shut down, living its majority of its workers unemployed. The Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) has also been shut down because of the COVID-19 situation in Cameroon.

The closing of business places like off-lincences and restaurants by 6p.m is a big blow to owners of these business centers, considering the fact that their business boom mostly at night. It is worth noting that these business places make less than one tenth of their daily sales and are forced to close their business centers by 6p.m. This have left many of them devastated as their business is crumbling drastically.
The closing of markets by 6p.m also have a negative effect on traders. This is due to the fact that, some of them make their top sales after 6p.m, as it is at this period some people are opportune to come to the market, considering their busy day schedules.

All of these factors have led to a low standard of living among many Cameroonians, as they battle day-to-day to survive without any assistance from the government. Some traders say they can’t avoid going to the market even with overcrowding, as trading is their only means of survival.
A man who voted anonymity said “the government is asking us to avoid visiting crowded places, maintain social distancing, wash our hands regularly and stay indoors. How do we stay indoors with no food? How do we pay our bills? If the government wants us to stay indoors, let them provide us with necessities and we will stay home. If COVID-19 does not end, we will suffer and the economy of Cameroon will suffer more”.