Akufo-Addo announces enhanced measures to contain Covid-19

Government Sunday stepped up measures against coronavirus spread in the country, suspending all public gatherings for the next four weeks, as six persons so far tested positive for the disease.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a televised address to give an update on measures being taken by Government to fight the virus, directed that all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events, and religious events have been suspended for four weeks.

He also ordered the closure of all educational institutions, both public and private, until further notice, starting from Monday, March 16, 2010, tasking the Education and Communication ministries to roll out distance learning protocols for the schools.

However, BECE and WASSCE candidates would be allowed to attend school to prepare for their examinations with the observance of the prescribed social distancing protocols.

“I have decided in the interest of public safety and the protection of our population to review the public gathering advisories announced earlier, ” he said.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that Government's travel advisory banning the entry into Ghana from March 17, 2020, of anyone who had been to a country with more than 200 cases in the last 14 day, should be observed as announced.

Businesses and other workplaces, he stated, can “continue to operate but shall observe proscribed social distancing between patrons and staff.

Additionally, “Establishments such as supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, night clubs, hotels and drinking bars should observe enhanced hygiene procedures by providing amongst others sanitizers, running water and soap, for washing of hands,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo also directed the transport ministry to liaise with the transport unions to ensure enhanced hygienic conditions in vehicles and terminals.

He also tasked the Ministry of Local Government to liaise with relevant authorities to improve hygiene standards in our markets.

The President also directed the Attorney-General and Minister for Health to fast track legislative processes to back the implementation of the directives.

He called on the general populace to lend support to experts conducting contact tracing to ensure that persons who have come into contact with positive cases are identified and supported.

The pandemic which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has so far claimed more than 5,000 lives and infected more than 137,000 people worldwide.