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General News of Tuesday, 21 April 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Lifting the lockdown makes me nervous – Dr. Serwaa Ayi

Dr. Bertha Serwaa-Ayi, an Infectious Disease Specialist, has said the decision by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lift the restriction on movements in Accra, Kasoa, and Kumasi makes her anxious.

According to her, based on the trajectory of the novel Coronavirus which is still yet unknown to many infectious disease specialists across the world, may be dangerous to Ghana lifting its lockdown this early due to the potential for exponential infections globally.

“I wouldn’t say the decision to lift the lockdown is good or bad but I will just say I felt nervous based on what I know about the trajectory of this disease,” she told JoyNews.

“My point is you can’t say that you are going by science or data and look at a caseload of 1,042 and say that because of that you are going to reduce or remove a very, very good measure which you put in place.”

“If Europe had decided on the right measures on the 4th of March, they wouldn’t be where they are because within just seven weeks Europe went from 923 cases to 1.1 million and that is just seven weeks,” she explained.

Dr Serwaa advised that government should rather look at the signs of the exponential growth of the coronavirus disease thoroughly before taking the next decision.

“It’s sort of like being told that there is a hurricane coming. You can decide that ‘well I don’t feel any rushing wind…why should I prepare?’ Meanwhile, you have been told that the hurricane has been through Florida, Europe, America and it’s coming to Africa and you say because I don’t feel the wind and I have looked at the signs and the wind direction it’s not coming my way and so I am going to relax,” she cautioned.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, April 19 announced the decision to lift a 3-week lockdown in Greater Accra and Kumasi, with effect from Monday, April 20.

In a national broadcast, the president, however, stated all other social distancing measures are still in place. Churches, schools both public and private, will still remain shut.