Accra, June 2, GNA – The Government is working with some partners to develop a software application that would assist event organisers to register the prescribed number of attendees and safely record their contact information to make tracing easy.
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications, who announced this, said the Pan African BioSurveillance Application (PANABIOS) would enable users to book registrants and ensure that they did not exceed the maximum 100 for social gatherings, as announced by the President.
She was speaking at the Information Ministry’s media briefing, on Monday, to provide details on guidelines to practicalise the Presidential directives backing the easing of restrictions on some social activities.
She said the app was expected to be available for download on various stakeholders’ websites in the next 48 hours.
The App would be linked to the COVID-19 APP, also developed by the Government.
A passcode or a USSD code would be generated for people to book for a registered event.
“We are trying it out in Ghana and hopefully it will be rolled out to the rest of the continent,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said.
“For our collective peace of mind, every event needs to keep an accurate register of everyone who attends those functions so that when need be, you can provide that information to the health authorities and they can help all of us.”
She said event organisers would have to download the application and register the event and venue that the event was taking place.
It would be recalled that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Sunday, announced the phase one of restrictions on public gatherings to be eased, based on their risk profile, socio-economic impact, and, ‘most importantly, the national capacity to enforce and to respond, in the event of a flare up in our number of infections’.
All churches, mosques, conferences and other permissible events are supposed to have a register of names and contact details of all worshippers or attendees.
The President announced that a 25 per cent attendance should be allowed, with a maximum number of 100 congregants at a time in a church or a mosque.
There should also be a mandatory one metre rule of social distancing between congregants.
Services are to be held for a maximum of one hour for each session.
Additionally, all attendees are mandated to wear face masks at all times.
Hand washing facilities and sanitisers, among others, must also be provided.
After an 11- week suspension, Muslims can worship at the mosques on Friday, June 5 while Adventists and Christian follow on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
