Coronavirus: NCCE intensifies public education at information centers

The wearing of nose masks is the surest remedy to stem ‘human-to-human’ transmission of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Mr Benjamin Kyere, the Sunyani Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has said.

He said the failure to wear a nose mask is a serious offence punishable by law, which could attract between four to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of GH¢12,000.00 or both, under the Executive Instrument 164 and advised the general public to comply by wearing the nose mask at all times.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Kyere expressed regret that some people were not complying with health and safety protocols, thwarting government’s efforts to stem the spread of the virus disease.

He said the NCCE with support from the government has scaled-up COVID-19 public education and talk shows on local radio stations and information centres to reach out to the populace, particularly those in rural areas.

Mr Kyere said his outfit has distributed quantities of nose masks to a lot of people in the Municipality, but regretted that many of them were still not wearing it and called on the Police to help enforce the wearing of the nose masks to protect the public interest.

He spoke against public stigmatization and discrimination of COVID-19 patients, and appealed to the public to desist from that, saying stigmatization would erode the gains made and thwart efforts in fighting the spread of the disease.

As a public health emergency, Mr Kyere said, it requires concerted efforts to contain the disease, and appealed to the public to contribute their quota by adhering to all government restrictions and health and safety procedures.

He said the pragmatic interventions and measures that government was putting in place to contain the disease would be in vain if the public failed to comply with frequent hand washing with soap under running water, use of sanitizers and observation of social and physical distancing.

As its social responsibility efforts, Mr Kyere said, the media, ought to intensify public education on the COVID-19 for the nation to succeed in fighting the disease.