Coronavirus: Over 400 churches and mosques disinfected in Ellembelle district

The Ellembelle District Assembly in the Western Region as part of measures to stem the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic has successfully disinfected over 400 churches and mosques in the area.

This exercise was carried out after the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had directed all religious leaders to disinfect their places of worship before resuming partial services.

The disinfection exercise was supervised by the District Chief Executive for the area who is also the Head of the District Public Health Emergency Committee and ended on Saturday morning.

In all, 100 youth were engaged to spray all the Mosques and Churches with high quality and approved chemicals.

In addition to this exercise, the District Assembly is expected to distribute Veronica buckets, liquid soaps and paper tissues and stationed at the premises of these churches and mosques.

The District Assembly had promised to disinfect all Junior High School and Senior High School Classrooms to allow the final year students to complete their programmes.

Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh disclosed that before the Assembly started the exercise, leaders of these churches and mosques were informed and agreed to allow the Assembly to embark on the exercise.

"...we had a meeting with the religious leaders across the entire District last week Friday and the consensus was that although the President had lifted the restrictions on churches and mosques and other religious activities and are going to wait for the period of one week and allow the Assembly to do this exercise for them", he said.

"...we realized that it is important that we start it. So this is an exercise taking place in all churches and mosques, all places of worship in the entire District are being disinfected with Chlorine and disinfectants approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). The reason behind is that these churches and mosques have been closed for some time, almost two months since the President directed the places of worship to be closed and these buildings had been infected with other bacterias so it is important we disinfect these places", he added.

According to him, after the meeting, they registered over 400 churches and mosques.

He is therefore urging other churches who had not registered to do so and allow the Assembly to disinfect their buildings to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh, however, promised to give Veronica buckets, paper tissues and liquid soaps to all the over 400 registered Churches and mosques in addition to the disinfection exercise.

"In addition to this, we are also going to give each church and Mosque a Veronica bucket, and liquid soaps and paper tissues just to support and make it easier for the people to exercise hand-hand hygiene which has become the number one protection against Coronavirus".

He, therefore, bemoaned how some residents were not wearing nose masks.

He admitted that enforcing social distancing protocol in the district was quite tough.

He seized the opportunity to call on all residents of Ellembelle District to continue to adhere to the preventive measures outlined by the health experts.

"Some residents are refusing to wear the nose masks, so we use this opportunity to educate and urge them to make good use of the nose mask to protect you and protect others", he pleaded.

So far, Ellembelle District has recorded 13 positive cases of the deadly Coronavirus with one recovery.

In all, Western Region has recorded 976 positive cases of Coronavirus with 10 recoveries and one death.