By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov.9, GNA–President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday urged Ghanaians to adhere strictly to the hygiene protocols to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
The caution followed the rising numbers of the country’s COVID-19 active cases from 393 three weeks ago to 1,139 as of Friday, November 6,2020.
Analysis of the data suggests that the Greater Accra region accounts for 75 per cent of COVID-19 active cases, with Ashanti, Bono, Eastern and Western being responsible for 16 per cent while the remaining 11 regions make up for four per cent. Arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport account for other five per cent.
In his 19th televised address on measures taken by government to curb the spread of the disease, President Akufo-Addo said the nation could not afford to throw caution to the wind and allow the virus to escalate.
He, therefore, called on every Ghanaian to strictly observe the preventive protocols, making them the central features of our lives.
He said the mass wearing of facemasks and strict adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols were the surest way to defeat the virus.
He thus appealed to the traditional authorities, religious leaders, trade union bodies and private sector organizations to join forces with the Government to minimise the transmission of the disease.
« Fellow Ghanaians, it appears that we are letting our guards down. Now more than ever, we have to adhere to mask wearing, hand washing, the use of sanitizers, and social distancing protocols that have become a part of our daily routines, and which has ensured that we do not impose all the restrictions over again, » the President advised.
President Akufo-Addo encouraged the leadership of all political parties to impress upon their supporters to wear the facemasks and adhere to the social distancing directives as political activities intensify towards the December 7 elections.
To help stem the tide of COVID-19, President Akufo-Addo said he had ordered the release of more logistics to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to enable frontline health workers to undertake Enhanced Contact Tracing, Testing and Treatment of asynthomatic cases, limit the importation of the virus, intensify public education, and use of technology to augment contact tracing.
Also, the newly constructed Infectious Disease Centre at the Ga East Hospital would be opened soon to the public help in the treatment of cases.
« We cannot afford, at this critical moment, to throw caution to the wind, and destroy the incredible amount of work undertaken by Government, health officials, heroic frontline health workers and members of the security agencies, in bringing us this far.
» It is very clear that the more we adhere to the protocols, the quicker we defeat the virus, » the President stated.
The Government, he said, had extended free water supply and electricity to all lifeline consumers till the end of the year.
Additionally, tax rebate for frontline health workers had been extended till the end of the year while 50 per cent of their monthly basic salary would be paid as allowances to them for the months of October, November and December.
Currently, the average daily new infections of the disease has risen from 25 cases to 130 new cases in the past two weeks, while mask wearing, according to the GHS study, has dropped from 44.3 per cent to five per cent in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
GNA
