President Akufo Addo has urged party leaders and supporters to wear their face mask all the time during campaign activities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Even though the various political parties had earlier indicated that they will not hold rallies and other large gatherings to prevent the spread of the disease, the past few weeks have seen the two dominant parties – NPP and NDC holding events with a little over one month to the general elections, that have attracted a huge number of party supporters most of who don’t wear masks nor adhere to other preventive protocols.
The worrying development if not checked immediately, according to health experts may cause a second wave of the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana.
Speaking in his 19th address to the nation on the measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus on Sunday evening, President Akufo Addo stated that the task to prevent the spread of the virus is not only for leaders of the political parties, but all Ghanaians irrespective of one’s status in society.
According to the President, he’s seen at first hand how some residents have abandoned altogether the safety protocols such as the wearing of mask put in place to defeat the virus.
“Indeed the high compliance rate with mask-wearing of persons surveyed by the Ghana Health Service in some selected places in Accra for example to which I referred optimistically in update number 15 has according to a new survey by the same Ghana Health Service fallen alarmingly from 44.3% to 5%. This is not acceptable as the enhanced hygiene and mask-wearing protocols must now be central features of our lives. It must continue to remain so for some time to come until we see to the elimination of the virus from our country.”
The President reiterated that severe sanctions exist in Ghana’s laws for persons who want to continue to disregard these protocols and for those who want to endanger the rest of the population through their actions and negligence.
He added that the law-enforcement agencies will apply these laws where necessary without fear or favour.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/102.5FM