Lock down Ghana to stop COVID-19 spread if necessary – TUC to government

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to adopt what it described as “more aggressive measures” to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

According to the TUC, the government should consider a total lockdown if necessary.

“Mr. President, the risk of spread of the virus in Ghana remains high. We need more aggressive measures to protect the people from this deadly virus, including a lockdown if that is what is needed to protect the people,” TUC noted in a letter to President Nana Akufo-Addo signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Yaw Baah.

Although the TUC commended the government for the measures so far put in place to combat the virus, it in the letter appealed to government to equip frontline health officials with the necessary equipment.

Free sanitizers 

TUC also urged government to provide Ghanaians with free sanitizers or subsidize the prices of the produces to make them affordable for everyone.

“Only workers performing essentials services should be allowed to work but they should be adequately protected from the infection. The Pharmaceuticals industry and others that produce basic household supplies must be given financials and fiscals incentives to increase production. We strongly suggest that the government should provide sanitizers to all residents in Ghana free of charge or they should be subsidized to make them affordance to everyone, regardless of their income levels,” TUC pleaded in the letter.

Coronavirus cases in Ghana

The novel coronavirus cases recorded in Ghana have risen to 24.

“Twenty-three of the confirmed cases are receiving treatment in isolation and one of the cases who had an underlying chronic pulmonary condition prior to having COVID-19 died [on Saturday, March 21],” the Ghana Health Service said in an update.

The remaining 23 infected persons “are being managed in isolation, and are doing well on treatment,” the service added.

Lockdown Greater Accra, Ashanti Regions

The Bureau of Public Safety had earlier called for an “immediate discriminated lockdown” of the Greater Accra and the Ashanti Regions to check the spread of COVID-19.

“With the list of traceable contacts increasing by the day in their hundreds, the task of tracing and effectively monitoring contacts may become overwhelming as confirmed cases increase by the day.”

To cushion Ghanaians in the regions that could be affected by a lockdown, it further recommended that “Government immediately works out a social support package for population groups that may be hard hit by these measures.”

“While these actions will definitely have a negative impact on the economy in the immediate to short term, our country and its citizens stand to benefit in the medium to long term as we collectively work to break the chain of COVID-19 infections,” it added.

Click here for the full letter from the TUC