Accra April 08, GNA-Dr Da Costa Aboagye, the Chairman of the Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation Committee for COVID-19, has admonished Ghanaians not to consider the directives of staying at home and observing social distancing as a punishment.
He said contrary to the negative, the strict directives by the President which was currently being strictly enforced by the various security personnel in various partial lockdown areas of the country, was a life-saving sacrifice for the human race.
Dr Aboagye, who doubles as the Director of Health Promotion, of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), interacting with the media in Accra, explained that to contain the spread of the virus, Ghanaians must seriously adhere to the President’s directives to all to stay at home and strictly observe the social distancing protocol in addition to practicing good hygiene.
He said statistics showed that these measures were effective ways of containing the spread of the virus, while the frontline health workers continue to effectively manage cases and trace contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Dr Aboagye further stressed that one of the main reasons why people were being asked to stay home was to prevent community spread, saying an infected person with no visible symptoms could easily infect other people with the least contact.
« In the light of this, it is in our best interest, and in the interest of our loved ones to stay at home as much as possible and also avoid entertaining visitors in this sensitive period « , he advised.
He encouraged the public to also continue to strictly observe coughing and sneezing etiquettes and regular handwashing with soap under running water or rub their hands with alcohol-based sanitizers as frequently as possible.
He gave some of the symptoms of COVId-19 as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, and encouraged persons who show any of these signs to call the helpline 112, text or WhatsApp through 0555311311, for assistance.
