COVID-19: Cancel Kwahu Easter festival – Residents plead

Some residents in the Kwahu area in the Eastern Region want this year’s popular Kwahu Easter Festival to be canceled following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus(Covid-19).

Speaking to Agoo FM reporter Esinam Regina, residents at Nkawkaw in the Kwahu West Municipality said the huge number of people who troop to the Kwahu area for the Easter festivities could be a major threat to human lives as the disease could easily be spread.

For several years, the Kwahu area has become a major destination for Easter celebrations, hosting thousands of people who go there to have fun.

The frightened residents have therefore appealed to the appropriate authorities to ensure the festival is canceled to avoid the spread of the disease which Ghana has so far confirmed two cases.

“We want this year’s Easter festival canceled because of the confirmed coronavirus case in the country. We know the huge number of people who throng this area and we just can’t put our lives in danger and so we’ll be grateful if the festival is canceled. We don’t want the deadly disease to be transported here. We need to protect ourselves,” one woman said.

A man added: “In the wake of the confirmed case of coronavirus in Ghana we fear what would happen this time around if we allow thousands of Ghanaians to travel here for the Easter festival as has always been the case. It will be in our national interest to cancel the festival this year to avoid the spread of the disease. There’s no need for people to come and celebrate this year’s Easter in Kwahu. Everyone should stay wherever they are and celebrate Easter there.”

As of Friday, March 13, 2020, 136,383 cases of coronavirus have been recorded worldwide with China being the worst affected.

The number of deaths stands at 4,995 with 70,437 affected persons recovering.