Kenneth Kponor, Volta Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has appealed to the public to consider the threat of the novel coronavirus disease to human existence, and fully support efforts towards curbing its spread.

He said the Commission had observed the slow response to measures being implemented by stakeholders, and also the lack of cooperation on the stay-at-home directive, and mandatory quarantine directives.

The Director who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said market women, in particular, ignored the gravity of the pandemic, and responded “scornfully” to sensitization efforts, although they rendered essential services and were always in close contact with the public.

“Market women are not taking the pandemic seriously. They scorn efforts to educate them, and some are even asking customers to remove their masks. It is not encouraging people to do what they must do to end the spread of the virus,” he said.

Mr Kponor said all must take the health crisis seriously, and adhere religiously to the advice of experts.

“I want to believe that everybody is doing his or her best to help end the spread. We must not be ignorant of the enormity of the crisis".

“If Italy, with all the health infrastructure, loses not less than 700 people a day, then we must not allow it to spread, least it overwhelms us.

“Stay at home please. If you don’t have anything to do, please stay at home,” he said.

Mr Kponor expressed worry over the large numbers of people alleged to have fled coronavirus-hit regions ahead of Monday’s lockdown and called on Government to consider a nationwide action.

He also called for a nationwide home testing exercise to promptly identify carriers of the virus.

The NCCE in the Region, with the collaboration of the Church of Pentecost, is undertaking community sensitization on the virus in all districts, and had zoned the Region into four for the exercise.

The Commission had earlier provided handwashing stations for use at the Ho Central Market and also educated sellers there on proper handwashing.

Mr Kponor said the ban on gatherings restricted the activities of the NCCE to mobile announcements, and sensitisations using the radio and other electronic mediums.

He commended the Assemblies in the Region for supporting the efforts of the Commission, and for constituting task forces and public education committees dedicated to the fight against the virus.

Mr Kponor said the Church of Pentecost has pledged to sustain the sensitization campaign for as long as the coronavirus pandemic lasted, adding that the NCCE had special focus on border communities.