The government has strengthened its measures put in place to educate and protect the general public from an increase in the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 held to give updates on the cases of Coronavirus confirmed in Ghana, various government officials informed Ghanaians of the plans set to keep the public safe.
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, stated that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have established committees to see to it that their constituents are educated on the virus.
“MMDAs should force bye-laws on food safety, environmental sanitation, hygiene and also on entertainment and other outdoor activities. They are to ensure the availability of handwashing facilities and running water and sanitizers at vantage points in the markets and all other public places.”
“The MMDAs have established the public health emergency committees and they have set public sensitization teams under the overall guidance of public health emergency committees. They have undertaken stakeholder engagements and have commenced the public sensitization on preventive measures and good hygiene practices to curtail community spread of the COVID-19,” she indicated.
On his part, the Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, advised that people should go to bus terminals to pick ‘trotros’ and not stand by the roadside.
“We are also entreating the public that as much as possible, instead of you to stand by the roadside and board vehicles or buses, please go to the bus terminals. When you get there, you’ll get water to wash your hands, and sanitizers as well. Your information will be taken so that in case there is an emergency, we can easily trace you and follow up.”
“The commercial operators themselves came out with a directive and they are going to enforce it with support from the Ministry that henceforth, any driver who fails to carry out these instructions will not be allowed to load at the bus terminals. These measures remain until otherwise advised and we came with a strategy that we are going to review this policy every two days,” he said.
Update on coronavirus in Ghana
President Akufo-Addo disclosed on Thursday, March 19, 2020 that the positive Coronavirus cases in Ghana have risen to nine.
He said this during a Presidential Prayer Breakfast Meeting with Christian leaders in Ghana at the Jubilee House.
“…We also learned, sadly on Wednesday, that three Ghanaians living abroad had lost their lives as a result. With nine confirmed cases of infections, we might as well count ourselves lucky as one of the countries least hit by the Coronavirus,” he remarked.
As of Wednesday, March 18, the cases were seven but the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah took to social media site, Twitter to explain that the two extra cases were recorded overnight.