Coronavirus: Behavioural change will help us win the fight – Ambassador Boateng

Ghana’s Ambassador to China, H.E Edward Boateng has said that while Ghana has achieved many feats in its fight against COVID-19, there still exists a behavioural problem among some few Ghanaians.

According to him, it is important that Ghanaians take lessons from the way the Chinese deal with COVID-19.

In a Happy FM-led special forum dubbed ‘Sixty Years of Ghana-China Relations: The Impact and Way Forward in the New Normal’, H.E Ambassador Boateng noted: “We haven’t done badly. If you look at the entire African continent we are one of the countries that have done most testing and also has a lot of protocols in place. Where we are challenged is that people are not as disciplined as the people in China because in China people don’t have to tell you to wear a mask. You know you have to wear your mask.

When you read about the reports back home, people have to be fined and persuaded to wear a mask. It is worrying. So those are some of the things that we can learn that this is a very serious situation which we all find ourselves in and your behaviour determines my wellbeing and my behaviour determines your wellbeing. So why should we all not be disciplined and that is where maybe the Chinese are one step ahead of us”.

He furthered that the country can take advantage of technology in contact tracing of COVID-19 cases.

“Also, they [the Chinese] use technology a lot. I mean with your mobile phones, your health status can be determined everywhere you go. We also need to use technology to help with the contact tracing.”

Ghana has adopted a measure that incriminates not wearing a face mask in public places, with those convicted of the offence facing up to 10 years in jail.

Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed a law (E.I164) that criminalizes the act of not wearing a face mask that fully covers the mouth and nose in public places. The law states that those who are found guilty will be fined a minimum of 12000 cedis ($2000) or a maximum of 60000 cedis ($10000), or will be sentenced to spend between four and 10 years in prison.