Coronavirus: Ghanaians mount pressure on government to lock down as cases soar

Some Ghanaians have mounted pressure on the government to lock down the country as cases of the deadly coronavirus increases daily.

The call is to help the country contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has also called on the government to lock down the country with immediate effect to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The GMA said only essential services such as food, water, and medicine businesses should be allowed to operate.

"The lockdown, though not a comfortable decision for leadership and citizens alike, is a proven option backed by science and along with the other measures will ultimately be in our best interest.

"We call on all Ghanaians to support such a move in the national interest to save our nation from the devastating effects of this pandemic," the GMA said.

The Bureau of Public Safety also called for the "immediate discriminated lockdown" of Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions for at least 21 days.

The Bureau also called for the lockdown of all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and All Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

It added that essential services could be exempted from this lockdown.

On the part of the Member of Parliament for Wa West, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, he wants the government to immediately lockdown Accra, Kumasi and put the necessary systems in place before the coronavirus situation in the country gets out of control.

He said such a measure is necessary to prevent further spread of the disease.

"My candid view about lockdown is that it is getting too late and when you allow the situation to alarming everybody, the lockdown will be difficult to do. Indeed if you look at it, we have to explain in detail what the directives the President has given mean and what the implications are but the lockdown can only be in respect of the big cities.

"Accra, Kumasi, by this time, there should have been a lockdown. It is unpleasant but in carrying it out, we will learn from the other countries. If we do not do this early and allow the disease to spread, by the time we lock down almost everybody will be in distress," he said on Accra-based Citi FM.

The Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior Committee, James Agalga has asked the government to draw examples from what is happening in other countries and effect an immediate lockdown to control the spread.

He said any further delays in halting the movement of people will result in an increase of cases, a situation Ghana’s health system cannot handle.

"If you consider what is happening in other countries with very robust health systems in place…I should think that by now, this country should have gone into lockdown," he noted.

Already, a third coronavirus related death has reportedly been recorded in Accra with 68 confirmed cases of coronavirus.