Go straight to work, stop loitering around - Police to essential workers

The Director-General, Legal and Prosecutions, Prosper Agblor has warned essential workers not to abuse their exemption from the lockdown period to loiter in the city.

He reiterated that anyone loitering around would be dealt with according to the law.

“We are advising the general public to stay home if you don’t have anything doing in town stay home. If you are also an essential worker go straight to your place of work. Don’t go loitering in town. Help us fight the COVID-19 virus,” He said.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 30, 2020, imposed restriction of movements in some parts of Accra, Tema, Kasoa, and Kumasi, as a way of controlling the spread of the dreaded novel Coronavirus in Ghana.

This is to limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life, and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.

However, some institutions and individuals were exempted during the partial lockdown period they included:

i. Members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary;

ii. Production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages;

iii. Environmental and sanitation activities;

iv. Staff of VALCO;

v. road and railway construction workers;

vi. Mining workers;

vii. fisher folk;

viii. members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties;

ix. staff of electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers;

x. staff of fuel stations; and

xi. media.

The Ghana Police Service has however advised the essentials workers to limit their movement to work and home as some have been seen loitering in the region.

Meanwhile, Some 406 persons are currently being processed to face the law after defying some directives given by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of efforts to stem the fast-spreading Coronavirus in the country.

Revealing this at a press briefing Tuesday morning, Head of Prosecutions at the Accra Regional Police Command, ACP Lydia Donkor, said the move has become necessary because some Ghanaians remain adamant about observing the laid-down directives in accordance with the Imposition of Restrictions Act (1012).